She Sees Everything
by FireFox1313
Summary: Yuki sees death everywhere she looks. It's her curse. One night she stumbles upon the world's greatest detective and discovers his real name. Using that to gain access in the Kira case, Yuki uses her eyes to become involved. But what secrets will her curse show her? Can she handle the truth of the real world?
1. Through Her Eyes

_Hey everyone! It's me again and I'm back for another story! Hope you like it! I don't know how good it will be because I planned this on the eve of my birthday (my birthday is December 24th). I was really excited, wasn't tired, and was very bored so I decided to make another fanfic!_

 _Enjoy~!_

* * *

You know what I see when I look into the eyes of happy children playing innocently with each other? Death. Or when I glance at my father as he cooks breakfast? Death. And when I look at myself in the mirror? Death.

I see everything. Which is mainly death.

I have dreams about death, too. Not very pleasant, to be honest. Every morning I wake up in a hyperventilating state where I can't calm myself down for ten minutes then just end up lying awake, staring at the ceiling, the entire night.

It's pretty much a curse. Every day I wish it could be taken away, but it's not. Ever. There will always be a permanent reminder that everyone is going to die, and I usually can't do anything to stop it.

I jolt out of another nightmare just as my morning alarm when off. And by morning alarm I mean the loud knocking on my bedroom window.

Akari Kimoto pressed her face against the glass and stuck her tongue out at me childishly. I wiped the sweat from my face with a handy bed towel as she climbed in.

She'd recently cut her red hair to shoulder length, which is actually decent. A smirk broke out on her face as she relaxed in my rolling chair. "Morning sunshine. How did you sleep?"

Narrowing my eyes, I chucked my sweaty towel at her and took a swig of my bedside water. All these things I use basically every morning because I always have nightmares.

"Not well, I'm guessing." Tossing the towel to the floor, Akari yawned and leaned back. "I had a pleasant night's rest. Mostly because I don't have nightmares."

"Don't be so cocky," I muttered, tossing the blankets aside and trudging to my closet. I took out a new outfit and changed while Akari's back was turned.

When I was done, I slouched on my bed to brush my long silver hair and put it in a braid. My morning routine is a wake up call (or loud knock) from Akari, a walk to the University, then the same walk back home just be cooped up in my room scrolling the internet. I really wish I had a better social life.

"Yukimi," Akari said, snapping me out of my thoughts. Yukimi is my real name, but mostly everyone calls me Yuki. "Stop drooling, we'll be late for school." I nodded and we headed out the door.

We weren't late, but we were the last ones to arrive. The rest of the day went by relatively quick, though there was a mishap at lunch where Akari almost killed a guy after he insulted her. Otherwise, it was a nice day.

When I got home, Dad was at the table reading the newspaper. I find it weird why he never reads it in the morning, but I guess it's his life. Huffing, I slouched into the chair across from him. "How was college today, dear?" The same question he asks every day.

"It was good." The same answer I give every day. Nothing changes.

Except this morning. "That's good. Hey, can you do me a favor kiddo?"

I froze. He never asks me this. I'm unprepared. What if I give the wrong answer. What if he gets angry like he did with Mom? What if- "Uh, sure, what is it?"

Looking up from his newspaper, he peered over the top of it and smiled at me. "Can you go downstairs and get the box of Christmas presents?"

I gulped. "B-But don't you usually get them every year?"

My father narrowed his eyes. I could practically see the lasers shooting from them and burning a hole in my forehead. Immediately I stood up and walked to the basement door.

My shaky hands turned the doorknob, and frigid air blew past me causing me to shiver. The light wouldn't turn on. It never has. I grabbed an auto-light lantern and turned that on instead.

Slowly I descended down the creaky stairs, silence flooding around me. A deadly silence. At the bottom of the steps, I cringed. I grimaced. I recoiled. I gulped. In front of me, stained on the worn out carpet, was a pool of dry blood.

A horrifying memory tried to rebirth, but I shoved it to the back of my brain as I stepped over the disturbing stain.

In the back corner was a single box. Setting the lantern on top of it, I picked the box up beneath my hands and carried it to the steps. Looking over my shoulder, I stared at the stain, but eventually moved on and back up the steps.

I sighed with relief as the bright light of the early evening came into vision. Returning the lantern to its hanging position, I shut the door and locked it behind me.

* * *

That night Dad and I decorated the small tree and hung more decorations throughout the uncomfortable house. Although it was now more festive, I still felt a sense of insecurity and emptiness inside.

After that, we just chilled on the couch watching the news. Nothing ever happened here. Oh, wait, did I mention a killer named Kira? Yeah, I guess that counts as something. But he seems to go for only two kinds of people: people who get in his way, and criminals. I am fortunately neither of the two, so I think I'm good.

But my father…

Never mind.

The phone rang and I sprang up to get it. Being with Dad was very uncomfortable. In the kitchen, I picked up the phone and said, "Hello?"

"Is this the Miyoshi residence?" a woman asked.

"Yes it is. I am Yuki Miyoshi."

"Ah, just the girl I was looking for." I frowned, wondering who this woman was and why she wanted me. "I found your babysitting ad in the local paper this morning and was wondering if you would consider to look after my daughter for a while tomorrow night?"

Oh, the ad! I apparently forgot about that. "Oh, yeah, sure! Um, who am I speaking to?"

"I am Sachiko Yagami and my husband is Soichiro Yagami of the NPA." The Chief of the National Police Agency? Whoa. "We also have a son, Light, but he won't be available to watch her."

"Oh, okay. Just give me an address and a time and I'll be there." I wrote down the Yagami's address. She wanted me at supper time tomorrow until they get home.

"Thank you sweetheart, we really appreciate it."

"No problem," I replied. Then, we hung up. I informed Dad about my job and he was hesitantly okay with it. Upstairs, I called Akari and told her the news.

You see, not much happens in my life. Although I see death everywhere I look, I'm pretty normal. I mean… each family has their secrets, and mine is a deep one, but overall we're pretty normal. I guess…

" _Why would you want to babysit a middle schooler?"_ Akari asked annoyingly over the phone. " _Don't you want a real job? One that will pay good money?"_

"In time," I replied. Stretched out on my bed, I stared up at the bare ceiling. "For now, though, while I'm in college, I want a calm and steady job. It's not like I need money at the moment. I'm still living with my dad."

" _And you always will be unless you can man up and say no to him,"_ she reminded me. It was true, I didn't want to leave him alone. I'm still here when I could be at a dorm with new friends.

"I know, but I just feel bad for him."

" _Why? He doesn't need the pity."_ Her words may seem harsh, but it was true. Even Akari knows what he did. Only Akari knows what he did, other than myself.

I don't know why I'm still protecting him. It just seems like I can't get away. Like he has control over my life. But he doesn't. Fear does.

" _You know what,"_ she announced. " _Tomorrow after school, before your job, we are going out for coffee. My treat. Just you and me relaxing like the good times. Kay?"_

A wide smile broke out on my face. "Okay. I'd love to," I replied sincerely. Although Akari is tough, ruthless, smart, and courageous, she will always make time for her loved ones.

" _My parents are working a little later anyway so they won't be home til supper."_ Both her parents were alive and still together. And they worked the same job. " _Good night Yuki."_

"Good night Akari." Then, I hung up and laid my phone on my nightstand. Shutting off the lights, I curled into bed. The window was cracked letting a cool breeze flow through the room.

I thought about a lot that night. My mom. Akari. My job. My college. I also thought about my dad. The multi-personality he had (Dissociative identity disorder). I pictured his face; one moment loving and kind. The next, frightening and controlling.

Before my eyes closed, I pictured his face one more time. My eyes lingered in the area above his head. _Makai Miyoshi._ I sighed as I drifted off into an alarming sleep, realizing that he still had a long life to live.


	2. What She Can't See

After school, Akari dragged me from my locker. "Let's go! I'm hungry." I laughed casually and followed her outside.

The walk to the coffee shop was quick. We arrived, took our seats, and ordered. I had one regular coffee while Akari had two cinnamon rolls, three pastries, and two cups of coffee.

"Jeez, when you said you were hungry…" I glanced at her numerous plates. Shrugging carelessly, she devoured all her food in less than five minutes.

"So," she began after wiping her face with a napkin, "are you nervous about babysitting Light's little sister?"

I shrugged, tracing my finger around the lid of my coffee cup. "Not really. The girl's only in junior high; how hard can she be?"

Akari snorted. "That's not what I'm talking about." I give her a slightly confused look. "I mean, isn't Light, I don't know, attractive in some sort of way…?"

Rolling my eyes, I took a short sip of my hot drink. "Jeez, if you like him so much why not ask him out?" Under the table she kicked me in the shin. "Ouch! I'm just kidding!" I laughed as she scowled at me.

"He's attractive, but trust me, he's definitely not my type."

"What is your type?" I asked with a playfully raised eyebrow. "Charming? Intelligent? Strong but silent? Imaginary?" Another sharp kick.

"Shut up," she mumbled, gazing out the cafe window. "It'll never happen anyway. I guess I'm just not lovable…"

This time I kicked her. "Shut up, you are too. Who knows? You could fall in love with a killer!"

Akari smirked, rolling her eyes. "Oh yeah, Kira seems really trustworthy and caring. I'll make sure to give him a call." We laughed. Who knows who Kira is? Anyway, he's definitely not someone I'd want to date.

"Anyways, tomorrow is our last day of college until winter break!" I reminded my best friend. Akari cheered and we toasted our cups. "To freedom!"

We stayed and talked for a while, just a casual conversation. When I realized my job was in an hour, we parted ways. I went back home to find that my father wasn't at his usual spot.

"Dad?" I called nervously. Suddenly I heard a crash from the kitchen and bolted through the living room. When I got to where the crash came from, I found Dad.

On the floor he sat, slowly rocking back and forth in the corner of the counters. It was the wooden knife holder that had fallen, scattering our many sharp knives across the floor.

There Dad sat, rocking back and forth, with the biggest knife, a dark butcher knife, in his shaky hand. Now, here's where a normal person would call another adult or the police. Although he was highly dangerous, I didn't. Instead, I inched my way towards him although he was begging me to stay away. "I don't want to hurt you…" he whispered, eyes wide with fear.

My dad has a multiple personality disorder. When he was young, it wasn't hard to control. In fact, in never became a problem until his mid-life. I remember seeing photos of him, a happy and carefree child. His parents knew about the disorder, but they never gave him medicine for it because they thought it wouldn't be a problem.

Their mistake. In his teens it started surfacing. He'd act violent and mischievous at school, but be a total angel at home. He never meant to be mean, it's just one of his personalities.

Around his college age, his parents contemplated sending him away to a mental hospital, but then he met Mom. She saw him for his original personality. Deep down she could see who he really was and she was fine with having to bear his burden with him.

They got married and Mom had me. I was a considerably joyous child. My family and I had lots of fun times together. We were an actual family.

But then, his disorder got out of control. Mom loved him for who he was, but even she didn't see it coming. Six years ago, age 13, I came home to silence. It was scary because Mom was usually in the kitchen baking something.

I went downstairs and saw my dad kneeling over Mom's dead body, crying his eyes out. I ran to him and cried too. After that, Dad took her body somewhere, I don't know where. The only thing I know is that he made it looked like a mugging gone wrong. The police never questioned him.

Things were never the same after that. He tried to make me happy, but I still felt a little scared. I know Dad would never hurt me; I'm the only thing left in his life that he loves.

Dad is also, when in a specific personality, very sensitive. In some situations he'll act with haste and fear, not actually knowing the consequences until he returns to normal.

He closed his eyes and took a deep, extremely shaky breath. Seizing the moment, I took my chance and lunged to him, swiping the knife from him and sliding it, and others close to him, across the floor.

Wrapping my arms around him, I held Dad and comforted him, trying to stop his trembling with soothing whispers. "It's alright, I'm here. I'm right here."

* * *

Within fifteen minutes Dad calmed down and slowly went back to normal. We retreated to the living room and sat on the couch. I connected my laptop to the tv and turned on Netflix.

After turning on _Doctor Who_ for Dad, I got us some hot chocolate and sat with him and watched it. Then, I kissed him lightly on the forehead and left for the Yagami's.

Arriving just in time, I rang the doorbell. The door immediately opened, revealing the face of the girl I presumed to be Sayu. "Hello!" she greeted cheerfully. "I'm Sayu! You must be the person who's gonna be watching me tonight, huh?"

I nodded and laughed slightly at her enthusiasm. "Yes, I'm Yuki. Can I come in?"

"Oh yeah!" she exclaimed with a blush, forgetting that it was the middle of December. "Come on in!"

I entered the warm house and took off my coat, hanging it on the coat rack near the door. "Sayu, is that the sitter?" asked a voice from the other room.

"Yeah Mom!" Sayu answered. An older woman, Mrs. Yagami, met me in the entryway.

Mrs. Yagami smiled welcomingly. "Oh, hello. If I remember correctly, you name is Yukimi, correct?"

"Um, yeah, but you can just call me Yuki," I replied, waving a dismissive hand. Sayu and her mom led me into the living room where I saw Light eating at the table.

"Light, this is Yuki." Sayu introduced me as Light stood up. "I think she's around your age, right? Older maybe?"

Light approached us and his eyes lingered on me for a bit longer than they should. "Yeah, but only by a year. I remember you. You were the one who painted those beautiful murals on the school walls, right?"

I blushed. "Uh, yeah. I didn't think you noticed."

"I really liked your paintings." I blushed even more. Sayu giggled, causing Light to lightly shove her, rolling his eyes and returning to the table.

Mrs. Yagami laughed at the three of us. "Well, my husband is at work," she told me. "I just finished supper. Light and Sayu are just finishing up, then Light will be leaving. Feel free to anything in the fridge if you haven't had supper yet."

"Thank you," I replied politely. Even though I haven't had a full meal, I didn't feel comfortable with eating from their fridge so I'd just eat later.

"My number is on the fridge in case of emergencies." Mrs. Yagami slipped on her light colored coat and grabbed her purse. "If you can't reach me, just call Light. Have fun," she said, ruffling Sayu's hair, "and be in bed by nine."

After Mrs. Yagami left, Sayu returned to the table with Light and continued eating. I waited patiently until they were done, then Light left leaving me alone with Sayu. It was actually easier than I expected. All the girl wanted to do was watch this Hideki Ryuga on tv until she got tired, which was exactly at 9:02 p.m.

I led her upstairs and tucked her in bed. "Night Sayu," I said.

"Yuki?" I looked at her over my shoulder. "Promise you'll come again? I like you."

Chuckling, I nodded. "Of course I'll come back. Good night." After turning off the light and shutting the door, I came face to face with Light. His hair was slightly messier than before and his coat was off.

"You know, she really likes you." His eyes glistened.

"Really? You think so?" I haven't had much experience with children. Probably because I'd matured at an early age.

Light nodded as we walked downstairs. "Whenever Mom and I are home, she always puts up a fight before going to bed." Since Light was home, I went to the coat rack and grabbed my coat. "What are you doing?"

"Going home," I said, slipping my arms inside the silky arm holes. "You're here so I'm not needed anymore."

He shrugged, looking at me in the eyes. "You don't have to go so early." I blushed, unsure of what to say. For a moment, I was quiet, just staring unusually at him.

"I'd love to stay, but my dad is expecting me home soon so…" Trailing off, I buttoned up my red overcoat. "Thanks though. Maybe next time." Opening the door, I began down the steps.

"Wait!" the boy called from behind me. I stopped and looked over my shoulder. "Don't you want your payment? You watched her for about four hours. You deserve the money."

Shrugging, I watched my breath evaporate into the air. "Um, it's fine. I've really got to get home. I'll just get it next time I come, if you ever want me back."

Light smirked, crossing his arms. "Of course we'll want you back." His face softened and his eyes gleamed in the moonlight.

I held back a gulp and plastered a fake, but very convincing, smile across my face. "Thanks. See you later." Whipping around, I paced down the walkway and onto the sidewalk, hurrying away.

Back at the house, Dad was sleeping on the couch. I turned off the tv and covered a fuzzy red blanket over him. Flipping off the downstairs lights, I went to my room and locked the door.

Leaning against it, I sighed. Thank goodness I was home. I needed to talk to Akari. There was something important I had to tell her.

On cue, my window was opened and she popped through. "Hey, you're home. How'd it go?" When she noticed my worried expression, she frowned. "What happened?"

Taking off my coat and shoes, I sat on the side of my bed. Akari sat on the edge of my rolling chair. "It's Light."

Her frown deeped. "What did he do?"

"It's not what he did. It's what I saw."

Tilting her head, Akari gave me a curious/confused look. "What do you mean?" Then, her eyes widened. "Oh, you mean your eyes. What did you see? Is he gonna die soon?"

Shaking my head, I gulped. "That's the thing: I can't see his lifespan."

"What does that mean?" Akari put on a thoughtful face. "Is he immortal? A ghost?"

Leaning forward, I grabbed my phone from the pocket of my coat on the floor. Taking it out, I dialed the number I'd gotten a while back ago. Akari moved from the chair to sit beside me.

" _Hello, California State Prison, how can I help you?"_

"Uh, hi. I'd like to speak to a prisoner. Can I do that?"

" _Prisoner's name, please?"_

Akari and I shared a look. "Beyond Birthday."

A moment of silence, then the woman's voice returned. " _Prisoner Number 1313. I'm transferring you now."_

Akari snorted. "I wonder how he was lucky enough to get that number."

After a short period of annoying waiting music, the killer's voice echoed from the other end. " _Who the heck would call me?"_

I let a smile crawl onto my face. "Good to hear from you too Beyond."

"Miss us?" Akari asked from beside me.

Beyond fumbled with the phone. " _Y? A? You two are actually calling me? Huh, didn't think I had friends. Although I was hoping it was the police with a plea deal. Never mind, do you need something?"_

"Why do you think we need something?" I wondered.

He snorted. " _Because the last time we talked, I told you to only call if you needed me."_ Oh yeah.

A while back ago, Akari and I went on a trip to America. LA to be exact. That's where we met Beyond. It was a little… shocking to find out he was a killer, but we learned to deal with it. He called us from the prison on his first night there and told us to give him a call if we ever needed him.

Now I did.

"I need you to tell me something." I waited a moment. "What can you tell me about the eyes?" I knew he had them. We both knew each other had them, but we never actually talked about it.

" _Um, what's there to tell? You can see a person's real name and lifespan. You know that."_

"Beyond, what happens if you can't see a person's lifespan?"

Again, the phone fumbled. " _Wait, are you being serious? Are you not able to see a person's lifespan?"_

I nodded, even though he couldn't see. "Yes."

" _Who?"_

"Light Yagami. Is that bad?"

Suddenly, his voice got low and serious. " _Y, please don't get close to him. Yes, it's bad if you can't see their lifespan."_

"Why?" I urged. Akari leaned forward in suspense.

" _...Now is not the time. I… I'll tell you soon enough. Just watch your back and don't trust him."_

"What should she do?" Akari asked him.

" _Don't worry, she'll be fine as long as she doesn't get too close to him."_ Gradually, Beyond's voice grew cocky and calm again. " _Just don't leave her alone in a room with him. Things might get steamy."_

Akari laughed along with Beyond. I shoved Akari to the ground. Unable to do anything to Beyond, I huffed. "Shut up."

" _Hehhehhehheh, just kidding. But seriously, be careful. I'd better go now. Guards don't like me lingering."_

"Bye!" Akari and I said in unison.

Before anyone hung up, Beyond snickered. " _See you soon…"_ Then, the line went off.

Akari and I blinked. Did he just say what I think he said? "See you soon" doesn't mean "I'll call you later." No, it means "I'm coming and we will meet face to face." "He's coming back." Akari laughed bitterly with the realization. "Beyond is coming back."


	3. The Return

I woke up early one morning, Beyond's voice still ringing in my head from a while ago. I took a quick shower, changed into a red shirt and jeans, then brushed and braided my long silver hair.

While sitting on my bed texting Akari (who was literally across the street), a heard a knock at my door. Dad had already left for work so maybe he'd forgotten something and accidentally locked himself out.

I hurried downstairs and opened the door. Light. Ugh. How am I supposed to stay away from him when he comes to my house? He was wearing a white shirt and red tie.

"Hey Yuki. Need a ride to school?" he asked me. I shrugged.

"I usually walk…"

Light's eyes lowered a bit with disappointment. "Oh, I see. Well, in that case, we won't take up much of your time." We? It took me a moment to realize that someone was standing behind him on my doorstep. I looked briefly above his head. _Soichiro Yagami._

The older man came forward and held out his hand. "I'm Soichiro Yagami, Light and Sayu's father." I shook his firm hand. "I just wanted to stop by and meet the new sitter Sayu enjoys having over." Kids; they attach to someone way too easily.

I looked between Light and his father, knowing it would be rude to evade this. "Um, you know what? I think I'll take that ride."

Light perked up, smirking. "All right. Let's go then." Mr. Yagami and Light led me to the car. Light, being the somewhat charming genleman his is, opened the door for me.

Inside the car hung an awkward silence for the first couple minutes. I hummed quietly as the time passed, but the silence became too unbearable. "So, Mr. Yagami, you're Chief of the NPA, right?"

Light's father smiled proudly. "Yes I am. Although I enjoy the job overall, it has been keeping me away from my family lately."

"Yeah, Kira's a big threat." I studied the old man while he drove and I talked. I decided to linger closer to the mystery I've been wondering. "So, I hear L's been working on the case as well."

Mr. Yagami's face grew serious and he slightly tensed. "Where have you heard so?"

I shrugged, leaning against the door. "Too many places." I gave a quick laugh. "Wouldn't it be something if he was working with the Japanese Police…?"

Mr. Yagami chuckled, shaking his head. "You are very curious I see. Well, that's one thing you and my daughter have in common," he said, trying to draw away from the subject.

Light leaned forward and went through something on the floor. Turning around in the seat, he handed me a check. "Thought you might want this. You earned it." The first night I babysat Sayu I refused the money. I'd babysat a couple more times, but never bothered to remind the Yagami's of my first night's payment. I guess Light is more of a gentleman than I thought.

I thanked him and slipped the payment in my pocket. Now we were only five minutes from my college. Mr. Yagami glanced at me through the rearview mirror. "Would you mind if we called you sometime in the next few days? I know the wife's sister wants to take her on a shopping trip soon, so we'll probably be needing you."

I beamed, happy at the chance to hang out with the girl. "Yeah, I don't mind. I'd love it." As Mr. Yagami rolled to a stop, I grabbed my backpack and got out. "Just give me a heads up before so I know if I'm free." I looked at Light and smiled. "Thanks for the ride!"

At my locker, Akari was waiting with an impatient and bored look on her face. "Where the heck have you been? I thought you were gonna come early so we could grab coffee in the teacher's lounge?" By "grab coffee" she meant "sneak into the teacher's lounge and make coffee while they're in a meeting."

Opening my locker, I hung up my blue backpack. "Uh, I got a ride."

Snorting, she folded her arms as I hung up my coat. "Who?"

Biting my lip, I looked down at the floor of my locker. "Light Yagami." Facepalming, she groaned. "I know, I know, I shouldn't have. But his father was there!"

"So?"

"I'm babysitting his daughter, remember?"

"Oh yeah. I guess you need to make a good impression." Opening her eyes, her purple orbs locked with my red orbs. "Just don't do it again. You heard what Beyond said."

"Speaking of the killer, do you think he'll actually get out?" Flipping her red hair, she leaned against the lockers.

"I wouldn't put it past him," she replied coolly.

We then hurried to our first class. The morning went by fast, but every class after that went by extremely slow. Usually it's the other way around, but today was _weird_.

Not only did Light show up at my doorstep that morning, but other weird things happened. In my first class, the teacher didn't show up so the principal had to fill in, even though the teacher's mug (with fresh coffee in it) and all his belongings were on his desk.

At lunch, the food actually tasted like it was made in a five star restaurant, but my milk had a dead mouse in it (eww) and my tray suddenly cracked in the middle of eating my sandwich.

In my second to last class, a bird hit the classroom window and spots of blood remained as it fell to the ground. Oh no, not just any bird, but a seagull. Like, why the frick is there a seagull in the middle of Tokyo? Then, I SWEAR I saw the "missing" teacher walk past the classroom with the seagull on his SHOULDER.

And to top it all off, we didn't have ANY homework.

When my math Professor dismissed us at the end of the day, I rushed to my locker to find Akari already there, leaning against it casually. "Please tell me you're not an alien."

Furrowing her brows, she crossed her arms. "Why, do I look like one?"

"No," I quickly replied, opening my locker. "It's just… today's been really weird and I… never mind." She hesitated, but shrugged it away.

We got our stuff and left the building into the chilly weather. As we approached my house, Akari stopped. I looked back at her and frowned. "It's alright, he'll be under control."

Giving me a quick nod, she continued walking. At my house, Dad was sitting at the table, reading the newspaper. When we walked in, he looked up and smiled. "Afternoon girls. How was college?"

"It was good," Akari replied, returning the smile as she slid off her shoes. "And good afternoon to you too Mr. Miyoshi."

I huffed as I pulled off my black boots. "My day was really weird. I'm not gonna go into detail, but it involved a seagull." Dad and Akari laughed. "We're gonna go up to my room."

"Okay, have fun." Dad smiled at us, then returned to his paper. I felt Akari sigh with relief as we jogged up the stairs. We dropped our bags on the floor as I shut my door.

It'd been about a week since we last talked to Beyond. I was a little on edge, but Akari couldn't wait til his return, whenever that was. I got this weird feeling when I thought about it. Sitting on the edge of my bed with my legs hanging off, I sighed. "What do you wanna do?"

My best friend shrugged. "Well, our lives are too boring to start a YouTube channel." I rolled my eyes, laid on my back, and continued to listen to Akari. "We can't be too reckless because you're babysitting the daughter of a police chief. Ugh, there's nothing fun to do!" Akari whined, sliding out of the chair and sulking on the floor.

"Stop whining," I replied sternly, but tempted to do the same. She moved to get up, but completely froze because she spotted something under my bed that caused her to gape. "What?" I asked, sitting up. Flipping onto my stomach, I leaned over the side of the bed and peered under the bed.

"Surprise!" shouted a voice, then a face to pop out at me along with it. I screamed and somersaulted off the bed and onto the floor, landing with a thump. Beyond began laughing while still under the bed. Akari joined him. "You s-should've seen your face! Priceless!"

Narrowing my eyes in annoyance, I remained on the floor and crossed my arms. "How did you get in my house? It was locked."

Beyond smirked, scooting out from under my bed. "Your dad let me in."

"Da-ad!" I yelled. With a huff, I sprung up off the floor. After a moment, there was a knock at my door. "Come in," I said through gritted teeth. Dad stuck his head into the room, face red with laughter. Grunting, I glared. With a laugh, he shut the door.

After a couple minutes, I cooled down and welcomed Beyond. Akari and I gave him hugs, then he got down to business. "Light Yagami?" He gave me the stern eyes. "Have you been staying away from him?"

Twiddling my hands, I looked at the floor. Akari cut in before I could answer. "Nope, not one bit. Now she's even getting rides from him!" Beyond folded his arms.

"It's not my fault!" I argued. "I'm babysitting his little sister!"

Rolling his eyes, Beyond perched on my bed. I sat beside him and Akari in her (my) usual rolling chair. "I suppose you have some sort of plan," wondered Akari, looking at Beyond. He nodded.

"Of course I do; I always do."

"All right, let's hear it."

"Okay, first we need gasoline, toilet paper, and matches/a lighter so-"

"No." I cut him off. "I won't have arson on my record. Especially when it involves a serial killer. Heck no."

Beyond thought for a moment. "Okay, this one involves a blindfold, knives, and your dad."

"Not funny B," I muttered, ending my sentence with a growl.

He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Just kidding. Okay, last one and this one is serious. We'll need a camera, smoke bomb, and candy."

"What, you wanna take pictures of kids, lure them into your van with candy, kidnap them, and disappear into the smoke of the smoke bomb? Pervert!" Akari exclaimed.

Beyond's face grew red. "That's way out of context and you know it." He smirked. "What were you thinking of?"

"I was thinking of using the lighter to burn your a-"

"HEY!" The two bickering couple silenced and lowered their heads. "Can we please act like adults? Now, Beyond, do you have any _serious_ thoughts?" I asked him.

"That was one." I tilted my head in confusion. Candy? Smoke bomb? Camera? What the crap? "I'm being totally serious. I just need those three things, then I can show you. Trust me, it's not completely illegal." Completely?

"Fine." Akari stood up, and I gave her the _Are you serious?_ look as if she was crazy. We're talking about helping a serial killer here. And why the heck would he need a smoke bomb? At least he didn't ask for a knife.

"Whatever!" I said, throwing my hands up in the air with surrender. "I'll help. Like my day could get any weirder. I mean, my dad let a serial killer into the house willingly so I don't think I have anything else to lose." Except my job, but I'm not too worried about that. I don't completely love it.

Akari and I moved to the door to leave and get Beyond's mysterious replies when he cleared his throat behind us. "There's one more thing I need."

We rolled our heads over our shoulders to look at the smirking killer. "What now?"

"I need some jam."

* * *

 _Omg... Thanks to all the people following this story. I honestly think I wouldn't get that much in only 2 chapters. Glad you like it and I hope to not let you down! If you don't like it... Oh well. It's my story. BUT I'll try to make it mysterious and interesting. XD BYE_


	4. Beyond's Plan

Dad was casually reading the newspaper when Akari and I got downstairs. "Really Dad?" When he looked up, a smile crept on his face.

"What? He seemed like a nice lad." Lad? Gosh Dad, that was such a lame excuse.

"You know who Beyond is, and you still let him in." Dad shrugged, and I sighed. "Never mind. Come on Akari, we've got stuff to get." My best friend quickly followed as we went into the kitchen.

Akari and I searched through the drawers until she found a couple pieces of wrapped candy. Next, I grabbed my camera from the counter to use for whatever freaking reason. Before we left the kitchen, I grabbed a jar of jam.

"Where the heck to we get a smoke bomb?" Akari wondered aloud, scratching her head. Dad sprang up from the recliner and approached us.

"Is it a smoke bomb you're needed?" he asked, suddenly wide eyed. Akari and I shared a nervous look before nodding. "I've got some; hold on." Dad disappeared through the downstairs doorway, then reappeared one minute later with four smoke bombs in his hands.

"Where the heck did you get those?" I asked with confusion, yet slight wonder.

"Well," he replied, "when I was young, I had a strange hobby of collecting them. Once I got older, I realized they were very useful."

"Useful for what Mr. Miyoshi?" asked Akari, now fully entertained. I think she thought this was very educational.

"For escaping bad dates." He winked playfully at us. I rolled my eyes while Akari laughed. "Now, what's your girls' use for them?" He lowered his voice and leaned in. "Trying to escape the killer up there?"

"No," I said. "He's the one who actually wants them."

"That can't be good," Dad laughed. I shrugged. "Here, go ahead and take them." He gave me two, then gave Akari the rest.

"You're awesome for letting us use these without even knowing why," Akari said, giving my dad a quick hug. "Thanks Mr. Miyoshi."

"Call me Makai."

Akari and I returned upstairs to find Beyond lying on the floor. Literally, he was just lying on the floor, on his belly, eyes closed. "Uh, what are you doing Beyond?" I asked, leaning forward to inspect him.

"I'm a corpse," he said, but his voice was muffled because his face was pressed against the carpet.

"We got all the, um, weird stuff you needed," Akari reported, laying everything on my bed. Beyond bounced up and seized the jam jar. Opening the lid, he stuck his fingers in and scooped up the jam to stuff in his mouth.

"What's next?" I asked. "What are we gonna use this stuff for?"

Beyond looked up with wild eyes. He suddenly got up from the bed and shoved everything in a bag. "Follow me." Akari and I sighed with annoyance, but followed him out the room and downstairs. We told Dad we'd be leaving for awhile, then went outside.

"Beyond! What's your plan?" Akari called to him. The jam obsessed killer was walking way too fast down the street and we couldn't keep up. "I swear I'm gonna murder that murderer," she muttered.

He suddenly stopped in the middle of the pavement. Jogging, we finally caught up to him. "W-What are we doing?" I asked through pants.

"We're going to find L," he answered simply, eating more jam. Akari and I gaped, eyes wide.

"How? Why? When? What?"

Beyond rolled his eyes and huffed with frustration. "We're going to find L by trailing Soichiro Yagami. We're doing it because I want to see him, especially after the LABB Murder Cases when I almost died. We're doing it right now, so hurry!"

We didn't have time to comprehend all of Beyond's words because he started moving again, but more stealth like. Ducking when cars past, dodging through bushes and trees, hissing at every person who walked by.

Suddenly stopping dead in his tracks, Beyond snickered. "Target acquired." Following his gaze, Akari and I gasped. On the sidewalk was Mr. Yagami and another male.

"We're spying on Mr. Yagami? Are you serious?" I practically yelled at Beyond in a loud whisper. "He's my boss! Do you know what's gonna happen if we get caught?"

"Don't worry," Akari said comfortingly. "I have faith in Beyond. We won't get caught."

Beyond cleared his throat awkwardly. "Actually, that's exactly what I planned on doing." Standing up, I turned around and tried walking back to my house, but Beyond yanked me down to the ground from our cover behind the bushes. "Be like Akari. Have faith in what I'm doing."

"My faith's gone now," she stated. "You're crazy; plain and simple." Beyond crawled up to her and gave her the puppy dog eyes, whimpering softly. I think he mixed a purr in there somewhere too. "Fine!" she yelled in a whisper. "You'd better have a freaking good backup plan!"

"I do!" he said, sticking his finger up in the air. "Let's follow them inside that hotel." Creeping through the trees, we popped into the open just as Mr. Yagami and the other man went inside the building.

Akari and I crept behind Beyond as he snuck into the building. We glided easily through the main lobby undetected. Mr. Yagami and the man got onto the elevator so we waited to see what floor they went on.

"Ah ha!" The killer shoved the bag of supplies into my arm and, jar of jam under his arm, tiptoed to the stairs. Akari and I rolled our eyes and followed him. He carefully hopped up each step until we reached the floor we wanted.

Peering around the door, we watched Mr. Yagami and his companion go into a room, made a note of the number, then crawled out into the hallway. Beyond crawled on all fours, Akari did an army crawl, and I just scooted along awkwardly.

Beyond is smart to know that Mr. Yagami would lead us directly to L, but what's his plan? I know L basically caught him (with the help of Naomi Misora) but was that really the only reason he wanted to see the detective. Or did they have an old score to settle?

Gathering by the door, we huddled together. "So," Akari began, "what's next? We can't just barge in there and wing it."

Again, Beyond cleared his throat awkwardly. I facepalmed. "Is that really what you've planned? Just barge in there and declare to speak to L? Do you really expect it'll work?"

Unzipping the zipper, Beyond reached in and grabbed something, but I couldn't tell what it was because he quickly slipped it under his shirt. Zipping the bag up again he smirked. "I guess there's only one way to find out." No Beyond, please-

Pulling the handle, Beyond crawled in. Akari and I gaped, but followed him. All the men were gathered in the room across from the entrance area so they didn't notice us, but it would be only of matter of minutes before they did.

I gave Beyond the _What the heck do we do next?_ look. The corners of his mouth twitched. "Just keep your bag handy," he whispered ever so quietly. Akari and I nodded, ready for Beyond's next move.

In retrospect, I realized that we put _way_ too much of our faith in him. He obviously didn't think all of this through, but if he did, he must've been on a jam high. Seriously. Handing Akari, or all people, his precise and prized jar of jam, he moved a little away from us.

Reaching under his shirt, he pulled out a small ball that I don't remember I put in the bag. Next, he threw it at the ground, between the men and us. It blew an explosion of smoke into the air.

Beyond jumped up and put his hands on his hips. When the smoke cleared, I noticed that all the men, except one, were standing up, and Beyond came into their view. "ZIM ZALA BIM!"

Commotion broke among them, some actually got out their guns and aimed it at Beyond. They also noticed Akari and I crouching in the background. But a voice stopped them from shooting at the lunatic killer. "Hold your fire." The voice was low and firm. It came from the only man sitting down.

Mr. Yagami lowered his weapon and looked around. When he spotted me, he gasped. "Yukimi! What are you doing here?" I sighed. Great, he's seen me! There goes my job.

"Beyond," I hissed. "What's your plan?"

"Toss me the camera," he said. I did so, then he took a picture. Yeah, he took a selfie. "Say 'Hi L!'"

"Hi L!" shouted one guy, smiling like an idiot. Jeez, he must be a rookie. Mr. Yagami glared at him, then Beyond took a picture.

"Hand me the other item!" he called over his shoulder. I shook my head and tossed him the candy. Grabbing it in his hands, he tossed it to the oddly perching man. "Good to see you L!"

Akari tossed Beyond a smoke bomb. He caught it and activated it. Pink smoke exploded into the air, and Beyond ran back to us. "Let's go!" Akari and I scrambled up from the floor, then the three of us ran into the hallway and bolted down the stairs.

"Where the HECK are we going?" I shouted as we took off down the street. "Those men are probably following us now! Oh great, we're gonna die!"

"Shut up and run!" screamed Akari.

"Both of you keep your voices down!" yelled Beyond. "If you don't shut up, they're gonna find us!"

At first we decided NOT to go back to my house, but those men (which I'm assuming are the police since Mr. Yagami was among them) were catching up to us. Skidding through trees, we darted into the closest house to us: my house.

Pounding through the front door, we began locking and shutting everything: All the windows were locked and the curtains were shut, the doors were locked, and everything that the police could go through to get in.

Dad was completely confused. "What's going on?" he kept asking while we shut everything up.

"Uuuh, nothing Dad," I answered casually, locking the window. Dad glanced at Beyond. "Don't worry Dad, everything's fi-"

The door burst open _somehow_ and those men, including my (ex) boss, came barging in. "Everyone, put your hands up!" Reluctantly, we did so. Handcuffs got snapped onto our wrists.

"Wait!" shouted Beyond. Before handcuffs were put on him, he grabbed the camera. "Let's take a selfie! #GettingArrested!" We groaned as Beyond snapped a picture. Then he got handcuffed and we all got escorted outside.

What a fine night to get arrested.

* * *

 _Sorry if this chapter is shorter than usual. It won't be like that next time! Thanks for reading! :)_


	5. Interrogation

_WoW I honestly didn't think this story would be that popular. Thanks for all the reviews you all are giving me! OK, onto the story:_

* * *

I can't believe it. I kept going through my memories and looking at it again, but I'm just not sure I can believe it. When Beyond introduced himself to the men in the hotel room we snuck into, in a mystical way, he revealed to me one thing: L Lawliet.

 _L Lawliet._ The perching man's name hung in the air above his head. Could that really be him? The L we all know as the famous detective? Piecing together the puzzle, I realized that it had to be.

Beyond knew L from the LABB Murder Cases. They actually looked quite alike. Mr. Yagami was the Chief of the NPA. L was a detective. It's not a coincidence that Mr. Yagami was in that room with a man named L. It had to be the real L.

And I knew his name. I'm guessing Beyond did, too, since he had the eyes.

After the police barged into my house, they cuffed us and took us into our front yard where they blindfolded us. We waited for a minute until police cars showed up. They must've called for backup.

I don't know where they took Beyond and Dad, but the car they stuffed me in they also stuffed Akari in. I heard her familiar voice when they shut us in. "Way to go Beyond. Get us arrested will ya."

"Akari?" I asked, turned my head to the direction her voice came from. "I couldn't think of anyone better to ride with in the back of a police car. If you'd have been my dad, I'd be going deaf from all his cursing and yelling."

"He must be with Beyond in another car," she concluded. "Don't worry, he's probably flipping out on the killer right now. I mean, that's what I'd be doing. What. An. Idiot."

I sighed and leaned back in the seat. "Uh, Mr. Driver?" I called to the man driving. When he didn't answer, I called again. "Hey, driver guy, hello?"

"ARE YOU DEAF?" shouted Akari, thoroughly annoyed. The car swerved a bit as she yelled.

"Well, if he wasn't before, he is now," I mumbled, scooting away from her.

"What?" he spat from the front seat. "Why can't you just shut up until we get to the station? Jeez…"

Huffing, I squirmed in my seat. "I'm just wondering… why are we being arrested?"

He snorted. "Why? Because you broke into a hotel room, interrupted a police meeting, and ran away from the NPA! That's why!"

I smirked. "So, it _was_ a secret police meeting." When he grunted, I flashed another cocky smirk.

The car was quiet for a moment before Akari started up again. "I'm hungry. This car got any snacks? Hello Panda? Pocky?" My stomach grumbled. _I wish I had my pocky. Mmm, sweet, delicious pocky…_

"No, we don't," he replied through gritted teeth.

"Drinks? I could really go for some green tea right now."

"I'm sure you would."

Wishing that my blindfold was off, I squirmed again. "What's your name Mr. Driver?"

"None of your business," he replied coolly.

Just then, his police radio crackled. " _Aizawa, are you at the station yet?"_ Another smirk. I could just feel Akari smirking, too. Aizawa. If I wasn't wearing a blindfold I'd be able to see for myself.

"Yes, Chief," the driver replied. "I'm arriving with the two girls now." That's when I felt the car halt and park. The front door opened and slammed shut. The my door opened and arms grabbed me and pulled me out.

"Hey, watch where you're grabbing!" growled Akari from the other side. Someone else must've been waiting for our arrival.

We were shoved down the sidewalk and through the front doors of what I assumed to be the station. I couldn't see, but I could hear. Voices were echoing from all around me, some shouting not too kind things to one another. Phones were ringing non stop, and from every direction.

I think we were walking through a hallway because the noises died down. Finally, after a seemingly unending corridor, we stopped. A door opened and I heard Akari grunt as she was shoved in. The person grasping me shoved me forward.

We walked a couple more steps, then I was thrown into a room of my own. My blindfold was taken off, but before I could see my capture, who I assumed was Aizawa, he darted out of the room.

It was your average interrogation room. A table in the middle of the blank room with one chair on each side facing each other. I tried the door but it was locked, of course. Unsure of what to do, I just sat and waited.

After twenty minutes the door opened and, low and behold, Mr. Yagami walks in. I gulp, sinking in my chair. His face was straight, but I could see the confusion and frustration behind his eyes as he sat down.

"Yukimi Miyoshi. I have a lot of questions for you miss."

"I know," I said meekly, looking down. I couldn't look in his eyes. I was too ashamed. "I'm sorry I followed you and betrayed your trust and snuck into that hotel and-" As I took a breath, Mr. Yagami raised his hand up to stop me.

"Yukimi, please. Slow down." Nodding, I lifted my head up and stared at his furry mustache. Nope, still couldn't look him in the eyes. "Why were you, Akari, and Mr. Birthday following me?" I stifled a laugh. _Mr. Birthday? Oh gosh, Yuki, don't laugh._

For a split second, I thought of throwing Beyond under the bus and making him take the blame. I mean, it was his idea in the first place. But I went along with it. So did Akari. And they're my friends, I can't do that to them.

"I was out with Beyond and Akari that night. We say you walking with that man so I suggested we follow you to… to see what secrets you were hiding. I don't know why, but I was bored so I just thought of it as something fun to do. It was my idea, not theirs. As for my dad, he was just caught up in the mess when we ran home. I'm sorry."

Mr. Yagami's eyes flickered. Not with anger or resentment, but with amusement and a little admiration. "Oh really?" I nodded slowly. "Well, that's not what your friends say."

Crap.

"In fact, each one of them, including your dad, tried to blame themselves for the whole idea." When I locked eyes with him, I sighed. "Come with me." Mr. Yagami led me out of the room with a firm hold on my arm.

We walked down the hall, then into another room. It was another interrogation room, but larger. Beyond was there. We glanced at each other before looking away. Akari and my dad were quickly brought in.

Dad walked over to me and gave me a long hug. "Hey, how are you? Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

I raised my eyebrow. "They're the police, I'm fine."

The four of us stood together on one side of the long table. Mr. Yagami and Aizawa stood on the other side. "Alright," Aizawa announced. "Which one of you decided to follow Chief? Huh? Come on, fess up already." He glared at me.

I was about to say something when Beyond smirked. "All right then. You caught me. It was my idea." Akari elbowed Beyond. "I was looking for someone." I elbowed Beyond.

Mr. Yagami and Aizawa glanced at each other before studying Beyond intently. "Who?" they asked in unison.

A sly smile crept onto Beyond's face. "L. And guess what? I found him."

* * *

Let's just say Beyond's plan to reveal his plan to the NPA was not the best idea. None of Beyond's ideas are the best! Immediately after he spilled the beans, Mr. Yagami blindfolded all of us. After that we were taken somewhere else. I don't know where, but I know it wasn't a normal interrogation room.

I was strapped into this weird seat or whatever that was vertical. I'm not complaining; at least I wasn't upside down or anything like that. I think I was alone in the room.

Suddenly, a voice called out to me. It was altered a bit so I couldn't tell what the actual voice sounded like. It came from a speaker somewhere in the room. No doubt there was a camera watching me.

"Yukimi Miyoshi... "

"Konnichiwa?" I answered in Japanese. Without Google Translate, that was literally the only Japanese I can remember.

"Do you know the man who is Beyond Birthday?" the voice asked. Male, definitely.

"Si lo hago," I answered in Spanish. Yes I do. "El ' es como un hermano para mí" He is like a brother to me.

"Yukimi, please stop fooling around. This is very serious business."

"Oh, tut mir leid. Funktioniert meine Sprache?" I replied in German. Oh, I'm sorry. Does my language offend you? I stifled a laugh. Now I was just playing with him.

He was silent for a moment. Then, his voice echoed again. "If I were you I wouldn't be fooling around at a time like this. We have your father and your best friend. I'm sure you wouldn't want anything to happen to them."

Was this really the police? If so… no, it couldn't be. They wouldn't use my dad and Akari against me… Would they?

I decided not to take any risky chances. "Referring to your question earlier, yes. I know Beyond Birthday. I know a lot about him, including what happen in LA." My voice was firm and serious. "We're alike, him and I. Yes, I know he was planning on looking for you. That why I joined him. To find you."

His voice lowered with suspicion. "Do you know who I am?"

I laughed bitterly. "Of course. You're L, correct?" Silence. That was all I needed. I was right. No, Beyond was right. His plan led us straight to L. L, with black hair and plain clothes. The one from the hotel. This was him. It had to be.

"You are in some serious business Ms. Miyoshi. The crimes that you committed," sneaking into a hotel room without permission and tailing the police chief, "could get you in serious trouble. I hope you understand."

I scoffed. Okay, L, I'm done messing around. "I hope you understand something: I'm not playing around anymore. I'm hungry, tired, and sick of seeing black. I want to talk to my friends and dad again and be let out of these chains. I want to talk to you."

"I'm afraid you can't talk to me," he replied firmly. "You won't be allowed to leave. I'm also afraid that your transgressions have led you to becoming arrested. You will be facing punishment."

I scoffed even louder. "L, let me go. For crying out loud, this seems illegal."

"I have jurisdiction," he replied solidly in a monotone voice. I sighed, not ready to give up. I still had one more valid card to play.

"It seems that we both have something powerful. You have authority, and I have your real name. I wonder who's gonna come out on top." Again, a chilling silence.

"Impossible," came the whisper. "You're lying."

"Oh, I am?" I snorted. "Would you like me to say it out loud? I'm sure the people in the room with you who are listening to this would love to hear your real name. L L-"

"Wait," came the sharp, jagged voice. "What do you require, Ms. Miyoshi?"

"Three things," I replied with a smile. "I call them the 'Three F's To Contentment'. Freedom, friends, and food."

An unwilling, reluctant grunt came from the speaker. "Anything else?" the voice spat low and bitter.

I smiled. "I'd really go for some pocky. Oh, and Beyond might want some jam. Akari definitely wants some Hello Pandas. If you don't mind." Of course he minded, but who was in control at the short moment?

Oh, right, me.


	6. Spying on the Enemy

I squinted as my blindfold was carefully pulled off. Blinking rapidly, I stared at the man who was unstrapping me from the chair. _Quillish Wammy._ "Thank you," I said once he was finished.

The old man smiled. As he did, wrinkles formed on his forehead. "You're welcome, my dear."

I followed him out of the room, then up some stairs and through a few corridors. We then reached the top level of the building we were in and stopped outside a large room.

"Are they in there?" I asked him. He nodded, then gestured for me to go in. Taking a deep breath, I opened the doors and walked through.

"YUKI!" A trio of voices greeted me the moment I came in. Akari, Beyond, and Dad wrapped their arms around me in a giant hug.

"Get off me!" I yelled, then squeezed out of their suffocating hold. I looked at Dad and blushed with shame. "Are you mad?"

Shrugging, he sighed. "I guess we all hit a rebel stage when we're young." After a quick hug, I apologized.

"Yukimi Miyoshi…" That voice. The one from the altered speakers. I could hear him much clearly now. I looked around the room until I saw him sitting in a chair facing away from us.

"Y-Yes? Are you L?" I looked at Beyond, who nodded. Realizing that I was shaking a little, I took a deep breath and gathered up all my arrogance and confidence. "I'm guessing we have a deal?"

"Please… Come with me." He stood up, but still didn't turn around. Instead he walked away down the hall, so I quickly followed him. He stopped in front of the door at the end of the hall and walked in.

As asked, I followed, then closed the door behind me. He stood in the middle of the room, silent for a moment, then turned around. I looked directly above his head for a split second to see his name appear again. _L Lawliet._

"It is you…" I whispered. His face remained neutral. As he perched in a nearby chair, he gestured me to sit in the one across from him, so I did.

This time I got a closer look at him. His hair was black and obviously never been brushed before. I mean, it didn't look too bad but his hair was spiky and all over the place. I actually thought it looked good on him. The clothes he wore were plain; a white long sleeve shirt and baggy jeans. No shoes. Bags under his eyes said that he was either and insomniac or a workaholic. Or both.

"So," I began, deciding to take the upper hand, "I'm assuming no charges will be pressed against my friends and I?" Silence. "My knowledge could be a valuable asset to anyone wishing to know your name." Still silence. He just stared at me. "Hey, did you get the pocky yet?"

A small sigh escaped from his mouth. "Your requests are still pending."

I frowned. "What does that mean?"

"It means that I am still considering what actions I should take."

"Oh come on! What more do you need? I have your name. So does Beyond."

"Beyond has been in a previous engagement with me and has already agreed not to reveal my name." Dang it Beyond. Stupid LA.

"Well, I haven't agreed to anything." I frowned deeper. I felt like I was losing control on this situation. I hate losing control, especially when I know I can come out on top.

L just continued to examine me. From the way I talked to my body movements; he studied me. "I suppose I can offer you some deal."

Brightening up, but not showing it, I shifted. "Okay, let's hear it."

L paused for a moment before speaking. "I will personally make sure that no charges will go against you, your friends, or your father for your crimes committed." Jeez, you sneak into one secret police meeting without an invitation and now you're some sort of criminal. "In exchange, you do not reveal my true name."

I nodded, then got up to leave, but L stopped me. "I need one more thing from you Ms. Miyoshi." I froze and slowly turned around. "I would like you to continue working with the Yagami family."

I laughed bitterly. "After what just happened? I think not." Mr. Yagami wouldn't hire me back in a heartbeat.

"I have talked with Mr. Yagami. He has assured me that you are always needed to watch his daughter."

Tilting my head, I crossed my arms. "Okay, what's the catch?" There's always a catch.

L stood up and faced me, expression calm, yet fierce. "I want you to spy on Light Yagami."

* * *

I walked back out of the room with a heavy weight lifted on my shoulders. L asked- technically ordered- me to be a spy. I had to spy on Light Yagami and gather everything remotely incriminating I found. Then I had to report all that stuff to L.

At first I questioned this. "Why Light?"

He went back to perching in his chair. "He is my main, and so far only, suspect in the Kira case. I believe that he could actually be Kira."

Now, walking out of the room with L at my heels, I was confused, but the pieces did begin to come together. _Could Light really be Kira?_ That would explain why I can't see his lifespan. But that makes it even more confusing. How does he kill? What makes him so special that his lifespan disappears?

Akari, Beyond, and Dad were waiting for us accompanied by two easily recognizable men. _Soichiro Yagami. Shuichi Aizawa._ I looked everyone. "It seems like we won't be going to jail!"

The three of them cheered. Beyond smirked. Aizawa gasped with anger and looked at L. "What? You're just letting them go free? That's-"

"That's L's choice, Aizawa," said Mr. Yagami. He looked at me and gave a brief nod. I returned it with a smile. "I expect to see you at our house tomorrow night. The wife is planning another visit to town and Light will probably be off with his friends."

"Alright boss," I replied with a salute. I looked back at L. He was already in a chair, perching his apparently normal position. "Thank you." His look was reply enough.

As the four of us walked out, I squinted. The sun was just setting over the horizon. "How long have we been in there?" Akari asked with a yawn.

Dad looked at his watch. "All night," he reported. Everyone groaned with weariness. We trudged back to the house and immediately fell asleep. Thank goodness it was Saturday.

We didn't sleep that long because we knew we'd have to go to bed tonight. After a good lunch and just a normal Saturday, we went to bed. The next day I had work.

I put on a blue shirt and jeans, then skipped over to the Yagami's. My first day of spying begins. Ringing the doorbell, I tapped my feet until a frantic Mrs. Yagami opened the door.

"Oh, Yuki, please come in!" She ushered me inside and quickly put on her coat. "I must be going or I'll be late. There's food in the fridge and don't forget that Sayu needs to do homework!" Then, in a flash, she was gone.

I found Sayu at the table already doing homework. Well, sort of. She was mostly watching tv. "Hey Sayu," I greeted as I took off my coat.

"Hey," she said, only averting her attention away from the screen for a second. "Guess what I'm watching."

"Let me think," I said, tapping my chin in thought as I sat down next to her. "Is it that hot actor with the blonde hair?"

"Yep!" She smiled as she finished a problem on her paper, then returned to the tv.

The whole night was filled with homework, Hideki Ryuga, and some baking. "Where's the sugar?" I asked while searching through the cupboards.

"In the top left," replied Sayu who was looking for some chocolate chips to put in the cookies. "I think."

"Found it!" I cheered, then gathered all the ingredients. We baked cookies and I made lemonade because we were both sick of water and soda. To top that all off, Sayu showed me to her secret stash of pocky and let me have some.

While we were watching tv close to her bedtime, the phone rang. "Hello?" I answered. "Yagami residence."

"Yuki," came Light's voice. Oh crap! I forgot I was spying on him. "I just wanted to call to tell you I'll be late getting home. My mom called me and told me the same thing, so do you mind staying later?"

Perfect. "Yeah, I can stay late. It's no problem."

"Okay then. Hope Sayu isn't giving you too much trouble."

"Eh, I think it's the other way around," Sayu said as she interrupted the conversation. Light and I laughed. My laugh was fake. I bet his was too. "Bye Light!"

"See you later, Sayu. Goodbye Yuki."

"Bye," I said before hanging up. I looked at Sayu just as she yawned. "Ah, that's a sign that you should go to bed." Shrugging, she must've agreed because she instantly trudged away without further orders.

After I made sure she was in bed, I snuck down the hall and up the stairs. Light's room was on top. Stealthily, I tiptoed up the steps without a creak and opened his door.

The room was clean. Clothes were hung up neatly. The bed was perfectly made. It seemed too perfect. I went to the only thing he surely had incriminating evidence on. His computer.

Clicking onto it, I realized I'd need his password to get in. I tried multiple times, including his family member names, name of the high school he was going to, and even his birthday (which I found on their calendar) but nothing worked.

Realizing that someone would be home soon, I shut it off and closed the door. Quickly I darted downstairs and into the living room. Instead of doing nothing I decided to clean up the mess Sayu and I made in the kitchen.

Since I had the water running I didn't hear the front door open. While I was washing dishes, Light came up behind me. "Hey," he said, causing me to jump a mile high. I was on edge a little since I'd snuck into his room. "Sorry I scared you."

"It's fine," I replied, turning off the water and draining the sink.

"You know we have a dishwasher, right?"

I looked down at it and mentally face palmed. "Yeah, I know. I got bored, though, and decided to do them myself."

As I wiped dry my hands, Light chuckled apologetically. "Sorry I made you wait. I had some things to take care of." Take care of?

"Stop saying sorry," I commanded. With a smile, I walked to the coat hanger and slid on my coat. "It is fine Light."

He handed me my earnings. "It's not fine. You had to stay a whole hour late. I want to make it up to you." I held in my urge to gulp. His sparkling eyes scanned me. "Can I take you to dinner sometime? Maybe this Friday?"

Holy. Crap.

 _What should I say?_ At that moment I thought of L. Not because he was cute, but because his voice was ringing in my head. _I want you to spy on Light Yagami._ I flashed a pleasant smile. "Okay Light. I'll have dinner with you on Friday. Pick me up at 7 p.m."

Grinning, Light gave a small laugh. His brown hair danced when he laughed. "Thank you." I said goodbye and got out of there before he could kiss me.

On the walk home, I sighed. I really didn't want to go on a date with the number one suspect in L's investigation, but I knew I had to. L practically forced me to. I knew he'd want me to, to get evidence on Light.

Overall, we don't really know Light is Kira. _But if the world's greatest detective says so…_ I pushed that thought away. Maybe a date with Light could be just what I need to relax.

What could go wrong?


	7. Date With The Devil

_Thanks for the positive reviews! I'll let you get back to the reading:_

* * *

I went to bed the minute I got home. After classes were finished the next day, I didn't go home. Instead, I texted Dad and went to the hotel. That was Headquarters for now.

Akari didn't know. That's what kinda bugs me. Akari doesn't know I'm going back and forth to L's hotel room. Neither does Dad. Beyond is with Akari because he needs 24/7 watch so he doesn't know.

Just me.

Arriving at the hotel, I made sure no one (no one like Beyond) was following me, then I went up to L's hotel room and knocked. The old man who took off my blindfold a couple days ago opened the door. _Quillish Wammy._

"Hello," I greeted.

"Ryuzaki is waiting for you," he told me as he led me inside. I'm guessing that Ryuzaki is L's alias.

With a short glance at the old man, I gave a warm smile. His aura seemed welcoming and comforting, like a grandfather's. I remember overhearing someone use his alias, so I thanked him by that. "Thank you Watari."

In the main room stood six men. L wasn't with them. Mr. Yagami, Aizawa, and four new people. The rookie is remembered from the night we first snuck in here; _Touta Matsuda. Hideki Ide. Kanzo Mogi. Hirokazu Ukita._

I let them tell me their names themselves so I didn't have to explain my eyes. My red eyes were something I hope they never find out about. It's just too… private.

"Uh, Ryuzaki's in the other room," Matsuda told me, rubbing the back of his neck. "I think he's expecting you." I nodded grateful and, with a gulp, went to find L.

He was in the room down the hall. I decided not to knock so I crept inside and softly closed the door behind me. L was perched around a small table, going through a pile of papers.

"Hey L- er, I mean Ryuzaki." His head stayed still as he eyes scanned the paper. I didn't think he noticed me so I took a step further, putting my hands on my hips. "I'm still waiting for that pocky."

A tiny sigh escaped his mouth. "There's a bag in the corner." My face brightened as I darted to the corner and snatched the pocky from the bag. It. Was. Delicious.

Returning to L, still eating my pocky, I sat down next to him. "What are doing?" I asked, leaning closer to examine the papers. Giving a grunt, he closed the folder so I couldn't see. "Hey!"

"It's part of the Kira case," he said, sliding the folder away from me. "Private."

I shrugged, taking a bite of my pocky. "I've got some exciting news for you."

"You found something on Light?" he asked with a hint of hope. I shook my head, crushing the hope that had been fluttering in his eyes.

"But I _will_ , just after I go on a date with him." L blinked. "Yep, he asked me out. And I said yes, but that's only because I need more evidence. His room is perfect, grades are perfect. L, his whole life is perfect."

"Indeed. The perfect cover." I rolled my eyes and continued munching. "Are you sure you would like to go on a date with Light-kun?"

I shrugged. "If it will help with the case."

L was quiet for a moment. "Do you _like_ Light-kun?" I looked into his eyes and guess that he thinks I actually like that perfect, flawless, charming… Just kidding, I don't.

"No way," I said, tipping my chair. "He's not my type. I don't go for the guys who could end up being a mass murderer."

L rolled his eyes. "Enough said." The detective got out of his chair and stood up. "Thank you for informing me. I think it is time you go. I must join the others to go over some things about the case."

"Can't I stay?" I asked with some confusion. "I could help you guys with anything you need. Maybe even help on the case."

L shook his head and gave a simple, "No. You should actually be leaving. This is work for the Task Force and I."

"But I'm technically part of the team," I argued, hands on my hips. L denied again. "Unbelievable!"

"Ms. Miyoshi, I can't afford to have you been seen here while you are working under Mr. Yagami. We can't have Light, or any of you friends as well, suspicious."

I sighed, knowing he was right. "Fine, I'll leave." I quickly grabbed the sack with a rest of the pocky inside it. "But I'm taking my pocky with me."

* * *

Shivering, I buttoned my coat up. Outside the wind was slightly more chilly and the clouds loomed above me. They were taunting me and getting me worried that the weather would make my walk home more difficult.

Akari texted me that she and Beyond were at the store getting jam and wouldn't be back for awhile. Swinging my bag of pocky, I turned onto my street. My house was normal, two stories and a basement.

Inside, I shut the door and took off my coat. As I hung it on the rack, I froze.

Standing five feet in front of me, holding a butcher knife in his hand, was my father. His eyes were wide with fear and anger so I knew he was having another dangerous episode. His body was shaking and sweat dripped down his face.

I gulped. "D-Dad? It's me, Yukimi." His face didn't falter.

Crap. He doesn't know it's me. That's not good. Not. At. All.

It was a tense ten seconds where we just stared at each other, unmoving and not making a sound. I knew this wasn't going to end easily. This had happened before, two times.

After about five more seconds, he snapped. Dad lunged towards me, knife in his hand, in full attack mode. I can never tell if he thinks I'm an intruder or if he's a murderer. It's a whole different personality full of anger and rage.

Bringing forth my previously learned fighting skills (which I signed myself up for a couple classes in emergencies like this) I dropped down, ducking from his aim, and kicked his feet out from under him.

Crashing to the ground, he sprung up quickly. Now he was in his fighting mode. I always hated this personality. He's so angry and instinctive, doesn't even hesitate to lunge at someone with a knife.

He tried to stab me in the stomach, but I grabbed his arm and squeezed it tightly so he couldn't move it. Then, with my other hand, I slapped the knife out of his grasp. It flew across the room and landed in the other end of the kitchen.

With a frustrated grunt, he yanked his arm away and grabbed my shoulder. His grip was unbearably tight. Shoving me down to the floor, he flipped me over on my back and jabbed his foot in my stomach.

Suddenly, staring down at me with eyes of fury and disgust, he spoke some weird foreign language I'd never heard of. Not Japanese, nor English. Maybe Russian?

Frustrated and tired, I thrusted my fingernails in his ankles, causing him to howl in pain and pull back, removing the pressure from his foot. Seizing my escape, I rolled to the right and jumped up.

Running over to him, I took both his arms and twisted them around behind his back. On my table I'd left my purse. While holding his wrists with one hand, I took out my handcuffs (don't ask why I have my own) and cuffed him.

Slamming him against the wall, I waited. I waited for him to calm down, to stop thrashing and yelling. It took about two minutes, but he finally ceased is panic attack. Slowly I lowered him to the floor.

Also in my handy purse was a syringe. I'd gotten it from the doctor awhile back ago. It's supposed to calm nerves and send him to sleep for a little bit. I usually never have to use it unless he's in a fighting mood.

Carefully piercing the needle through his skin, I let the prescription do it's job. Dad's eyelids slowly closed and his breathing slowed down to a steady beat.

With a sigh of relief, I slid down the wall and sat next to my sleeping father. Gazing at him, I leaned against his shoulder. "I know you're sleeping," I said aloud to him softly, "but I wanna let you know that I love you. No matter what condition you're in, what you do, or what you've ever done. I will always love you because you're my dad."

With a smirk I added, "And you pay the electric bill, so that's a plus."

* * *

Friday was here. My date. It was my date with L's number one suspect in the Kira case.

Even before I got dressed I was getting all jittery. Akari had to come over with a tub of chocolate ice cream to help calm me down. We sat on the kitchen floor devouring it while Dad relaxed in the living room watching tv.

Finally, the time came. I untied my braid and let my hair fall so I could brush it out. The outfit I'd picked out was a normal red vintage dress, complete with sleek heels and a cute, red diamond necklace.

Wondering if I was too dressed up, I decided to go downstairs and ask Dad what he thought. The moment he saw me a tear formed in his eye. Giving me a long hug, he whispered, "You look great. Light will love it." I knew he would; that's the point.

It was five minutes til so I waited by the door and concocted my plan. I'd be flirtatious, but only to get what I need. I needed evidence, some key word or piece of information. Maybe something he says will help me with his computer password.

Light's a smart guy so it wouldn't be easy, but I do know how to weasel my way into a boy's heart. I've had a few dates since now, but none rather as serious as Light. Or as handsome as him…

I was stopped by a knock at the door. Opening it, I smiled at Light who was standing on my doorstep all snazzed up and crap. A grey shirt with a black tie and black suit jacket. Honestly, he was the picture of perfect.

That's what made me so suspicious.

Gazing at me, his eyes twinkled. "You look beautiful. I love it."

"Told ya!" Dad shouted gleefully from the living room.

"Hello Mr. Miyoshi," Light politely called back.

"Hey Light!" he greeted back. Thank goodness he was too lazy to get up from his chair and come to the door. "Bring her back safely, okay? Because if you don't…"

When he didn't finish, Light blushed. "Of course sir."

Rolling my eyes, I let Light lead me to the car. Like a gentleman he opened the door for me. The drive there was short and sweet, thank gosh. When he pulled into the parking lot, I gaped.

The place was freaking fancy. Like, emerald green lawn with a marble fountain in the center of it. From the outside, I could tell there were a million diamond chandeliers inside.

"Light, you didn't have to take me here," I said, blushing. "It's way too expensive. I don't want you to go bankrupt on our first date."

Laughing slightly, he walked beside me through the parking lot to the front doors. "It's alright. My dad suggested it anyway." Light's dad? That's a surprise. I wouldn't think the man would let Light go out with me.

L probably forced him to let Light go. It's all part of the plan.

Inside we were sat down at a round table in the corner of the room, right by the windows. The waitress gave us glasses of iced water and said she would return later for our orders.

From across the table, Light stared at me. I stared at him. Then, I said, "So Light, tell me about yourself."

The boy shrugged. "What is there to tell? I'm the top student in my class and I'm heading to To-Oh University after I graduate highschool. My father is the Chief of the NPA. I have a sister and mother, too."

"Really?" I rolled my eyes. "I already know that stuff. I want to know who you as a person are." He tilted his head, slightly confused. "You know, likes and dislikes, passions, dreams, passwords, friends, memories."

Smirking, he rubbing the tip of his glass in thought. "Well, I don't know about passwords" darn it "but I do want to be just like my dad when I grow up. A detective. The best one there is."

"Better than L?" Can't I have one conversation without bringing up L? Literally, I always feel the need to mention the detective, especially around Light.

"Maybe."

"What else?" I had the sudden urge to get out a notepad and write everything down word for word. If I did, that'd be a little creepy, though.

"Hmm.." He thought for a moment, his smooth voice vibrating at the small noise that came from his mouth. "I like playing tennis. In fact, I would rather enjoy playing with you sometime, Yuki, if you don't mind."

Oh, tennis, huh? Yeah, I doubt that's his password. "Sure, sounds fun."

The waitress returned for our orders. "What would you like?"

"Rice with a side of salad, please," Light and I both answered simultaneously. I resisted the urge to shiver instead of laugh casually. The waitress nodded and scurried away to fulfill our orders.

"So Light," I said, sipping my drink. "What are you passionate about. I mean, if you want to be a detective I'm sure that you like the action and thinking."

"Of course," he said, gazing into my eyes. "But action isn't the only reason I want to be a detective." His eyes flashed with something I've never seen before. Something that scared me.

"Go on.." I said after a minute. My voice almost faltered.

"You asked what I'm passionate about, right? Well, I like the idea of putting criminals behind bars. Their crimes deserve a punishment so I want to be that person who gives it to them. One day I believe that I can bring _justice_ to this world and punish the criminals who have wronged us." His posture relaxed and his eyes cooled down. "If that's not passion then I don't know what is."

Justice. Kira is giving justice, as he thinks, by killing criminals. Light never said anything about killing people, but he almost could have. Maybe L isn't so wrong after all…

"Words to live by," I said with an admirable gaze. "You'll be a great detective. I'm sure of it." Light gazed into my eyes with hope and happiness. The slight smirk on his face sent chills up my spine.

We had a light chat while we ate our food, then some cheesecake for dessert. After we were done, Light and I strolled to the car. The drive back to my house was short, like before, but with less talking.

Like the gentleman he was, he led me up the sidewalk and to my doorstep. Turning around, with my back to the door, I faced him. Looking into his eyes, I knew I couldn't pull off this night effectively if I didn't do it.

So, I leaned in and kissed the charming boy. His lips were smooth, but I knew he'd done this before. Of course he had, he was Light Yagami. Pulling away, we smiled at each other.

Light was gonna lean back in, but something stopped him. From the window above us, an air horn blew loudly and abruptly into the night, causing us to jump. It was Dad. And with him was Akari and Beyond.

I rolled my eyes and frowned. "Really?" I called.

"Thank you for bringing her home safely Light," Dad said, air horn still clutched in his hand.

"You can leave now," Akari said with crossed arms.

Beyond smirked. "Watch out for the wire in the front yard. It might be best not to trip on it if you don't want to get splattered with jam." Light raised an eyebrow. "Just sayin."

I sighed at the three. Light laughed and wished me a good night. Carefully maneuvering through the yard, he went to his car and drove away. I grunted. "Seriously guys? A jam booby trap in my front yard? What are you, 12?"

Beyond snickered. "She said booby."

"Grow up," I muttered.

"Lighten up," Akari advised sternly. "There's not trap. We were just kidding."

Beyond straightened up. "I couldn't bare to have a trap like that," he said in a proper, yet childish voice. "Too much jam would be lost."

Leaning back, I laughed at him. Taking in a breath, I gave a faint smile. "Anyone up for some late night jam snack?"

Beyond brightened up. "Of course," he said. Sometimes he sounded like a genius, and other times he sounded like a child. "Grape or strawberry?"

I grinned as my stomach growled. Rice and salad doesn't fill a girl up. Besides, I was ready to spend time with my friends. "Both."


	8. An Official Member

Groggy, I rubbed my eyes. My vision was a bit blurred from being asleep for awhile, but I knew something had woken me up. The door. Someone was knocking on the front door.

Beside me a body stirred. Once my vision cleared up I could tell it was Beyond. He was leaning against my right shoulder. Akari on my left, and Dad sprawled out in the middle of the kitchen.

Carefully moving away from the sleeping two, I got up and scrambled for the door. Looking back, I realized that we must've passed out in the kitchen last night while eating jam. Beyond still had a smudge of the gooey food on his cheek.

Opening the door I was surprised to see Mr. Yagami. In his normal attire, Light's dad smiled, but I could tell he was trying too hard. "Yuki. How are you this morning? Did I interrupt anything?"

My eyes darted to the kitchen, but I shook my head. "I'm good, and you didn't really interrupt anything." Our eyes darted around awkwardly for a moment while I waited for him to speak.

"Um, I was wondering if you could watch Sayu for a little while this morning." I waited for a reason, but his face was firm and jaw resolute. He wasn't saying anything else so I knew it wasn't about Sayu.

"Sure, let me just change…" I looked down at my outfit. I was still wearing the dress from my date last night with Light. "You can come in if you want."

He shook his head, straightening his back with pride. "It's alright. I'd prefer to wait out here." Shrugging it off, I slowly shut the door and turned back around to get changed.

Upstairs I scoured through my closet to grab out a light pink shirt and tan sweater. Slipping my jeans on quickly, I hung my dress up in my closet. As I passed my nightstand I picked up my phone and slid it in my pocket.

Downstairs in the kitchen I saw Beyond stir. Blinking for a moment, he barely lifted his head and yawned. "Where are you going?" he asked in a croaky voice.

"Mr. Yagami needs me," I told him as I shuffled through my purse on the counter. His eyes lingered on me for awhile, their red orbs absorbing my figure. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. "What?"

Eyes narrowed with suspicion, he shifted. "Are you lying?"

Tensing up, I shook my head and averted my attention to my purse. I was looking for my notes. Yeah, I'd made notes on Light. Don't judge. "No, what makes you say that?"

He shrugged casually, scratching his head. "I don't know. I just…" Lowering his black haired head, he sighed. "Never mind."

Walking over to my friend, I leaned down and kissed him lightly on the forehead, ruffling the long black strands hanging in his face. "I'll be back soon. Meanwhile, keep Akari out of trouble, okay?"

He nodded so I set off. Outside Mr. Yagami was waiting for me on the sidewalk. Leading me to his car, he started the engine while I strapped myself in. The first couple minutes were silent.

Finally, resting my head against the window, I turned to look at him. "We aren't going back to your house, sir, are we?"

The old man cleared his throat, trying to keep his attention on the road. "What makes you ask that my dear?"

"Because we just passed your house one minute ago."

Letting out a long breath, he gritted his teeth. "No we aren't."

When he didn't say anything, I coaxed for more. "Then where are we going?"

"L wants to meet with you. He said it was urgent." I snorted and crossed my arms. That guy really needs to give me his number so I don't have to keep having these awkward rides with Light's dad.

After he dropped me off at the hotel Mr. Yagami left to go run an errand. Huffing, I zipped up my coat to protect me from the bitter weather. Head down, I darted inside and onto the elevator.

Watari let me into the room and once again I was greeted with the faces of few of the Task Force members. Everyone looked stressed. Watari looked tired as ever. Matsuda, resting on the couch, looked exhausted and bored. Aizawa looked annoyed and ticked, but I was learning that he usually looks like that.

"Jeez, you guys look like you got high then gave birth." I looked over at stressful Aizawa. "Or like you're trying to digest a cat." He groaned, and clenched his fist to control his anger.

"Ryuzaki's in the next room," he grunted through gritted teeth, pointing to the door behind me. I nodded then turned around.

Knocking on the door, I waited until L called me in with his monotone voice. Gently shutting the door behind me, I plopped down on the first piece of furniture I saw which was a small loveseat.

L was perched in a chair in the middle of the room. Directly in front of him was a large tv monitor, and he was staring blankly at it, no emotion. After a few moments of silence he spoke. "Did you gather anything about Light Yagami on your date?"

I shrugged, even though his back was facing me. "Sort of. I mean, it's not physical. It's more of a feeling."

"Go on," the detective urged calmly.

Leaning forward, I bit my lip in thought. "Well, he was calm and all during most of our conversation, but when we got to talking about his interests he sort of got a bit… passionate. Like, he's got this idea that every criminal deserves justice, and he acts like he's the only one that can give it to them."

"Interesting…" L hummed in thought. Even though I couldn't see his whole face I knew he was rubbing his thumb against his bottom lip, eyes deep with thought. Finally, like he'd snapped back into reality, L turned his chair around and faced me. "I would like to mention that I appreciate your help with this case."

Shrugging, I leaned casually back. "Well, I kinda forced you to let me help. It's kind of fair since I know your real name." His eyes narrowed for a brief moment upon remembering our deal.

"Yes, and I assume that information will be kept private." His voice was low, but extremely firm. Yet, I wasn't afraid of him. I bet under that quiet, intelligent appearance that there's a sweet guy.

"So," I said, moving on. "Is that all you wanted to talk to me about?"

"No," L answered. He stood up and sat next to me on the loveseat. Perching, he faced me. His eyes cautious and curious. "I suppose you know about the LABB Murder Cases?"

My eyes flickered, a little taken back. "Y-Yes, that's where Akari and I met Beyond."

"On this topic I would like to inform you that Naomi Misora has been missing for awhile. She was last seen in Japan. Naomi was here on a trip with her fiance."

 _Naomi Misora._ I remembered that name. She was the FBI agent who was working against Beyond. She saved him from death and arrested him. She's missing…

"No," I said, my voice faltering. "You don't think Beyond has anything to do with it, do you?" L's eyes never broke contact. "Well he didn't!"

"Where was he on January 1st, hm?"

I tried to think back. "He was with Akari. All day. He's staying with her for awhile. They were out getting jam, like usual." Eyes pleading, I scooted closer to L. "You can check security cameras if you want. He's innocent."

Silence. The room was filled with an intense silence. L and I stared each other down. I was waiting for his answer. He was observing my reaction.

"I personally do not believe Beyond had anything to do with it," he finally answered with certainty. I sighed with relief. "In fact, I think that Naomi Misora was tracking Kira. After her fiance's mysterious death by heart attack, it is most likely something she would be doing."

Naomi's fiance was killed by Kira? But why? Was he a cop? FBI agent? Criminal? I wanted to ask L but I knew that would be invading.

"Is that why you asked me here?" I wondered. "Just to tell me about Naomi?"

"Yes, that is why. Along with the Light situation." L shifted his feet beneath him. "How is your relationship with Light-kun going?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly. "I don't really have feelings for him, but I know I've gotta keep it up. For the Kira investigation."

"Speaking of Light and Kira…" L glanced at the monitor, then back at me. "I am setting up surveillance cameras and wiretaps inside the Yagami household."

I gulped. "So you're spying on Light?"

"Raye Penber was an FBI agent investigating Light," L informed me. "I believe there is a connection to that and his death. I must see what they're hiding."

"So," he continued, "you will also be on camera while you are in their home. I wanted to inform you to be cautious." I huffed. "I am watching at all times," he added with a sly smirk.

Shoving him slightly and playfully, I gave a small smile. "So…" My eyes went big with hope. "Can I please be an official member for the Kira Investigation? Just to help out? I promise I'll be the best at it and I'll be here on my free time helping!"

L observed me motionless. His eyes swept over me like a tidal wave. I could tell he was mentally debating on whether or not to let me help. "I'll bake sweets and sugary stuff for you…"

His eyes widened and I would tell I found his weak spot. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt… As long as brownies are in the deal then I suppose you could help us with other things…" He looked up at my pleading face and hesitantly gave in.

"Yes!" I cheered gleefully. Leaning forward I kissed L softly on the cheek and got up, rushing to the door. "I'll be sure to bring my baking supplies next time. I might even make you my special milkshake, if you're good."

I caught a glimpse of L as I opened the door. His eyes were wide with wonder and his fingers brushed slightly against his cheek where I'd kissed him. He didn't move or talk, but I could see the interest in his eyes. They were in mine, too.

* * *

The cameras were set up in the Yagami household, but it was private and only to be seen by L and Mr. Yagami. I was hoping L would let me watch, but I knew it was probably a leap. It was the Yagami's private life we're talking about.

I stood outside the closed door trying to hear their muffled voices, but it was no use. From the living room Watari called out to me, "Ms. Miyoshi, would you like a cup of tea?"

Moving hesitantly away from the door I answered yes and continued to sit down beside Matsuda. Sinking on the couch, I sighed. "This is excruciating. I wish I knew what was going on." I looked over to the clock on the wall. Light should be home now. _I wonder what he does when no one is home…_

Matsuda bit his lip. "Don't you think this is a little… invasive?"

"Of course it is," Aizawa grunted from the chair across from us "but the Chief won't stand up against Ryuzaki. Honestly, who does this guy think he is?"

Watari returned from the kitchen and handed me a cup of sweet tea. I thanked him and emerged myself back into the conversation. "Maybe Ryuzaki's right." They looked at me like I was crazy. "I mean, I've been up close to Light. He's hiding something."

"Everybody has got secrets," snapped Aizawa, sitting up straighter.

"What are yours?" I challenged him with a smirk.

"Why the heck would I tell you?" he replied, eyes flickering with a spark of fire.

"Man you're pretty sensitive," I said, studying his behavior. Aizawa got angry pretty easily by most people. Idiots. Haters. People he didn't like. Yeah, pretty much everyone. "Does your temper effect your work and family life?"

"Why don't you just shut up and mind your own business?" he spat. "Would you like me to judge your whole life?"

I rolled my eyes, still staring at him. "I'd give you a nasty look, but you've already got one."

Aizawa gripped the arms of his chair as he leaned forward, rage steaming out of his ears. "Shut up! I don't need a stupid little girl throwing immature insults at me."

"Oh I'm sorry, was I meant to be offended? The only thing offending me is your face."

Matsuda stood up. The quick motion of his body almost knocked the teacup out of my hands. "Stop it you two!" he said, standing in between us like we were gonna jump up and fight. "We need to focus on the case right now."

Leaning forward, I narrowed my eyes at Aizawa but sighed. "Whatever," I muttered, sipping my tea. Cooling down, Aizawa leaned back in his chair and picked up a report from the coffee table in front of us.

With a sigh of relief, Matsuda fell back in his seat. His gaze moved to the window as he gazed at the sunset. Aizawa dropped the file back on the table and crossed his arms.

"This is useless," he said. "We've got nothing to go on. We've looked through all the footage of Raye Penber's death extensively, been through all the reports a hundred times, and we haven't got any leads."

"We'll never catch Kira at this rate," mumbled Matsuda.

Their discouragement and frustration made me uncomfortable. I looked around for anyone else to talk to but the others must be at their homes or the NPA. I shook my head. "Come on you guys. Look on the brightside."

"There is no brightside," grumbled Aizawa.

"Of course there is." I thought for a moment. "Well, this will determine if Light is a suspect."

"We don't know that yet," Matsuda said.

I stared between the two. "You two are hopeless." With a dissatisfying sigh, I stood up and handed my empty cup to Watari who had just returned. "Thank you Watari, but I think I should be going. My father will be wondering."

As I prepared to leave, Watari began to speak. "Mr. Aizawa, L has informed me to ask you to watch the Kitamura's in the next room to investigate."

Aizawa nodded and grabbed his cup of coffee. Giving a curt nod to me he quietly went down the hall and shut the door. Watari exited the room to complete another one of L's requests leaving Matsuda all alone.

I glanced at him thinking that maybe I should stay to keep him company, but when he noticed he shook his head. "I'll be alright. You can go home."

Outside the sun was beginning to set. I could see it through the lobby windows as I exited the elevator. The sun was shining bright and the people around me were happy.

But that's not all I saw. I also saw a figure standing directly outside the front doors, looking at me through the glass. His hair was messy and black, his dark clothes reflecting his soul. His eyes red.

I stopped mid-step and froze. I stared at Beyond, motionless, and Beyond stared at me, suspicious. He knew what I was up to, why I was barely home these last few days.

Beyond had caught me.


	9. Caught

My first instinct was to run. Just run away and hide. But I was frozen with fear and surprise, I couldn't move.

His eyes narrowed, burning a hole in my forehead. Finally he pushed through the doors and came up to me with an angry look on his face. "So you were lying to me, huh?"

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I prepared a defense in my head. "It's not what it looks-"

"Yuki, I know you're meeting L," he interrupted. "You don't have to keep lying." Suddenly the rage in his eyes turned to hurt. "Why didn't you tell me? It wasn't that hard."

I lowered my head. "He said to keep it a secret. It was confidential business. Private."

"When did that matter to you?" he grunted, hands curled into a fist. "You didn't seem to have a problem crashing a private secret police meeting."

I looked up at him and frowned. "Uh, that was _your_ idea."

"But you didn't try that hard to stop me!" His voice was getting angrier, the hurt in it rising. "Akari and I are your friends. Akari's your best friend, but you didn't bother telling her. Why?"

I tried to search for an answer, but I didn't have one. A part of me thought that Beyond was right. I could've easily told them. There was no problem with them knowing, of course they would've kept it a secret. They've seen L just days before.

When I said nothing Beyond scoffed. "Did you not tell us because you wanted the fame and pride of saying that you were working with L? Did you think we couldn't handle it?" All these accusations were untrue, I was sure of that, but I couldn't bring myself to stop him. "Or maybe you were just trying to get closer to L. I bet you wanted him all to yourself. You-"

Finally I stepped forward and shoved him. "Shut up!" I said, trying to hold back tears. I felt guilty about not telling them and maybe I deserved the guilt that I'd carried now for a couple of days, but I knew I didn't deserve this.

"Tell me why," he said in a low voice, red eyes flaming.

Clenching my fists so hard that they grew red, I narrowed my eyes, trying to pierce into his pale skin. "Just leave, Beyond. Go away! Leave me alone!"

Recoiling slightly I could see the hurt that flashed across his eyes. He stepped forward, about to say something, but after he scanned my incensed expression, he grew solemn. "Fine, I will." With that, Beyond stormed out of the building, leaving me to wallow in my guilt.

* * *

For dinner that night Dad ordered takeout for us. We sat in the living room eating while watching a rerun of our favorite game show Quiz $ Millionaire.

I sighed and took a huge bite of my sweet and sour chicken. On the table was my phone, which I'd previously turned off. I stared at it with longing and desire, but knew that it'd be best to stay off it. It was very hard because it seemed to plead with me saying "CHECK ME! CHECK ME!"

Dad's laughter filled the room, overtaking my sadness. "He lost a million dollars," he chuckled, then took a sip of his drink. I stared aimlessly at the screen, trying to block out the thoughts of earlier today.

Dad glanced over at me and noticed my depression. "You alright Yuki?" He asked with concern. I shrugged without taking my eyes off the screen. "You can tell me anything you know."

Turning to look at Dad, I smiled weakly. "I've just had a long day. I might go to bed early tonight."

He knew I wasn't telling the whole truth, but glad that I responded so he smiled back and continued to eat dinner.

Suddenly an urge came inside of me. It said to check my phone. Instead of brushing it away, I gave in. Rushing forward, I snatched my phone and turned it on. I couldn't bare having it off anymore. I had a problem.

A million messages popped up from Akari, wondering where I was at and what happened with Beyond. Hmm, Beyond must've returned to her pretty pissed. Then, another message popped up from an unknown number. _Turn to Channel 4 - W_

W? No one came to mind right at the top of my head, but I flipped the channel anyway. "Hey!" Dad whined. "I was watching that."

Channel 4 was an interview or show featuring Hideki Ryuga, the famous actor that all the girls at To-Oh were squealing about. Suddenly a message popped up at the top of the screen. Dad leaned forward and squinted at it.

"What the… Interpol is sending 1,500 investigators to Japan in response of the Kira murders…" He frowned. "That's an awful lot just for one serial killer. Do they really need that much?"

That moment it hit me who W was. Watari. He'd sent me a message from L… This must mean that it isn't true. He sent me the message two minutes before I turned on my phone which means he knew it was coming on even before it did…

It must be a test, but for who? Kira? Light? Everyone watching Channel 4?

After the announcement ended I turned the channel back and threw away our trash. After reading Akari's urgent messages, I knew I had to do something. Beyond was pissed at me. Akari was extremely worried.

I decided to sleep on it. Going to bed early, I curled under the covers and tried to sleep…

 _As I emerged in the hotel room, I knew something was wrong. Aizawa and Matsuda and the rest of the Task Force members were gone which was unusual._

 _Tiptoeing down the hall, I stopped outside L's door. It was wide open and inside he sat in a chair. My heart pounded with fear. His back was straight and his legs stretched out, feet touching the floor. Something was wrong._

" _L?" My voice was the echo of a mouse, soft and high pitched, yet almost unheard._

 _As I stepped closer, I realized that the bags under his eyes had disappeared. Although his clothes stayed the same, his posture and face were completely frightening._

 _A bitter smile plastered his face. One filled with regret and hurt, pain and confusion, and sadness._

" _L, what happened?" I asked, but he said nothing in reply. His attention was focused on the static from the broken tv monitor in front of him. A large crack was split down the center. "L? What's wrong?"_

 _Finally he turned his head to look at me. But it was a slow, one mile per hour turn that sent an icy chill up my spine. His eyes were blank and unreadable. His voice low and monotone, but full of angst._

" _They're dead," he whispered. "All of them."_

" _Who's dead?" I asked, prepared for the worst._

" _Everyone…" I held my breath as his smile faded. "Matsuda… Aizawa… Mr. Yagami… Ukita… Mogi… Ide... " He lowered his eyes. "Even Light... "_

" _T-They're gone?" My eyes widened. How could this be? What happened?_

" _Yes…" Lifting his head, his eyes met mine. They flashed with pity and sorrow. "Makai… Akari… Beyond… All dead."_

 _I shook my head, not allowing my eyes to well up with tears. "No, you're lying to me."_

" _Remember which one of us is the liar," he reminded me with Beyond's voice. I recoiled at his words, pain stabbing me through the heart. "Kira killed them. He killed everyone."_

" _N-No, this can't happen, not to me." I choked back tears that dared to flow as I stumbled back. "No, please tell it isn't true."_

" _You left us," he said in a sad voice, eyes dropping to the floor. "Since you weren't here to protect them, he got to them. He killed them." Snapping his head up, he glared at me. "It's your fault."_

" _What could I have done?" I asked, guilt flowing through my veins. "I'm not anyone's savior. How could I protect them?"_

" _You know how," he said, standing up. "Now he's coming for you."_

 _I stumbled out of the room, but the floor dropped beneath me. I screamed for help then remembered that no one was there. They were all dead._

 _Falling… My heart pounded out of my chest. I screamed as loud as I could, adrenaline pumping inside me. My head spinned. Below the ground grew red and firey._

 _Below stood Light. He was waiting for me._

 _My arms thrashed around for something to grab, but there was nothing. I kept falling and falling and falling… Finally, I hit the ground._

Waking up in a sweat, I realized that I'd rolled out of bed. My head ached terribly and my body was sore. It had not been a good night sleep. Sitting up, I reached for my phone on my nightstand. It was only eight, but I knew I couldn't go back to bed.

Pushing myself up off my floor, I wiped my face with my beside towel and took a drink. The room was hot and clammy so I opened a window to let the fresh air flow in.

Outside on my street, kids were running around. I couldn't understand why they were up so early. They must have more energy I guess. So innocent and naive…

Today I felt like crap so after I showered I just slipped on a black long sleeve turtleneck and jeans. Phone in my pocket, I put my silver hair up in a ponytail.

Dad was still in bed when I came downstairs so I left him a note saying that I was out with Akari and Beyond, which I would be.

Outside I marched down the sidewalk a couple blocks. It was a little chilly, but that didn't stop me. A couple streets away, I jogged up the steps to my friend's house.

Instead of knockin on the door, I burst through the doors to Akari's house. Her mom was in their kitchen cooking breakfast on the stove. She gasped as I sped walked past her.

Akari's dad wasn't here. He wouldn't be here. Ever. Eight years ago her family went through their first huge tragedy. Akari's dad died in a car accident. Akari was about ten when it happened and got notified at school. It was a hard year.

Speeding down the steps to the humongous basement, I found Akari and Beyond on the couch watching tv. Beyond's eyes narrowed and he began to open his mouth when I held my hand up to stop him.

"Just shut up and come with me," I said before seizing the two and yanking them off the furniture.

We marched upstairs. I mean, I dragged them upstairs. When we passed the kitchen Ms. Kimoto raised her eyebrow. "We're going out," Akari said quickly as we passed. "Be back later!"

Outside, as I pulled them behind me on the sidewalk, no one uttered a word. I didn't even hear a sarcastic mumble from Beyond. They just stayed quiet as I yanked them along with me.

Once at L's hotel I expected them to say something, but they were still silent. I kept moving to the elevator and pressed the button, letting us inside. As it closed the annoying, yet catchy, elevator music came on, filling the awkward silence.

We exited the elevator and emerged in the hall. I tightened my grin on my two friends as I continued to pull them down the hall to L's room. Opening the door, I pushed them through.

Luckily L and the rest of the team were in the living room at the moment we burst in. They all stood up, except L, in surprise as I shoved the two forward. L lifted his head and looked blankly at me, but we both knew this would eventually happen.

Mr. Yagami gasped in slight shock. "Yuki, what are they doing here? You know this is supposed to remain confidential." The other five glanced at each other with unease.

I looked between bitter Beyond and annoyed Akari and sighed. "I think it's time we talk."


	10. Mission Boyfriend

"Indeed." L was solem, not surprised that I was here. Nonetheless that I'd brought Beyond and Akari with me. Wordlessly he motioned for us to come forward.

I glanced down the hall. "Aren't you supposed to be watching Light?"

"He is currently asleep," L replied, "but we will check on him later." As I pushed the two forward, he studied us. "I see you have some things to discuss."

"Yes," I said quickly, smoothing out my black turtleneck. "I can't keep this a secret from them anymore. They should be a part of this, too."

L said nothing for the first few moments. Even if he wanted to speak he would've been interrupted by Aizawa's swearing. "Yuki, why would you bring them here if Ryuzaki already told you to keep this private? Don't you know this is the real _L_ you're dealing with? How could you be so careless?"

I clenched my right fist with fury, holding back my anger through gritted teeth. "I told you that they need to be a part of this. It's just not right to leave them out."

As L stared at me he could sense my rising choler. Clearing his throat, he turned his attention briefly to Mr. Yagami. "Please continue our observation of your household without me." With an obeying nod, the Chief walked out of the room without another word.

"As for the rest of us," L continued as he turned to Beyond, Akari, and I, "we will continue this conversation in my room." When he stood up to leave, Aizawa stood up with him.

"You're actually considering this?" questioned the raging detective. "She broke your trust by bringing these two here!"

L's eyes flew to me. "She may have broken a deal, but it is unlikely she will break my trust. I have done my research," whatever that meant, "and I rely on my own intellect." I gave an appreciative nod.

Aizawa threw his judging, annoyed eyes upon Beyond. "He's a killer for crying out loud!"

For the first time since we came here, Beyond got cross. "You'd better shut your mouth or I'll shut it for you." From his back pocket he slipped out a knife and aimed it towards Aizawa causing the detective to fall back in his seat and gasp.

Akari snatched the knife away from him and replaced it with a jar of jam. He raised a suspicious eyebrow, but eagerly grabbed the jar of his obsession. "Where'd you get that?" I asked her.

"Kitchen," she said while looking back in its direction. I didn't question her anymore because I knew not to. Being in school with her since I was nine I knew better.

"Follow me," L interrupted us plainly. Even though he expression was painted with boredom I could tell his mind was swirling with thoughts. Questions. Kira seemed to always be on his mind lately, no matter what we were talking about.

We scurried behind the secretive detective as he trudged down the hall. Filing into the room, each of us sat down on the couch. L perched in the chair facing us. His face remained solemn.

Akari sighed. "Can someone please explain to me what's been happening. I'm kind of out of the loop here." I gave my best friend a pitiful look. She was the only one, besides my father, who had no idea I'd been secretly aiding L and the Task Force.

Beyond scowled. "Isn't it obvious? Yuki's been lying to us this whole time. Ever since the day of our interrogation she's been working with L and the Task Force. Apparently she was too arrogant to tell us."

"It wasn't that," I said, defensively crossing my arms. "L and I had made a deal. I couldn't go back on it. He made me keep this from you, otherwise I would've told you in an instant."

Beyond studied my expression and posture, debating on whether or not to believe me. "I'm sorry for this inconvenience," L interrupted solemnly. "I did wish to inform you sooner. I just had to clear things up before you could be let in."

Beyond furrowed his eyebrows. "Clear what up?"

"A background check," L answered simply. "For both of you. Just a minor precaution I must take with everyone I work with." He glanced at me causing me to feel violated. _What did he find on me? Ugh, never mind that._

Akari sighed with weariness. "I'm so done caring anymore." Looking at me in the eyes, she shifted uncomfortably. "Can we just be totally honest with each other from now on?"

I smiled gratefully. "I'd love nothing more." Leaning forward, my eyes fell upon the pouting killer. "What do you say, Beyond? Can you forgive me?"

He was about to come up with a stupid excuse when Akari grabbed his shirt and pulled him to her face. "If you don't apologize for being rude to my best friend right now I'm gonna-"

"Alright!" he exclaimed, raising his hands up in the air. When Akari let him go he returned to his pouting but muttered, "Sorry Yuki."

I grinned. "I'm sorry, too, Beyond." Pouncing forward, I landed on Akari's thighs and wrapped my stretched out arms around Beyond. He gasped at the sudden action.

"Jeez, you can be an idiot sometimes," he muttered, but ended it with a small chuckle.

As the famous detective cleared his throat, we turned all our attentive eyes on him. "Let us return to the matter at hand, please. Eventually I planned to converse about this in the future, but since you are all here…"

"What is it you want us to do?" I asked, fully prepared to bring out my major spy skills and deceiving tactics. "Let's hear it."

L continued with a bored expression. "From Light's father, and from what I've gathered in conversations I've watched him make, he plans on attending To-Oh University."

I grunted, folding my arms. "Just great. First I have to see him whenever I go to my job, but now I'll be forced to see him everyday! We might as well just get married!"

Akari rolled her eyes. "Continue, Ryuzaki."

L's icy eyes landed on me as he continued in a more serious tone. "To keep a more observant eye on Light, I would like Yuki to take their relationship a step further."

I blinked, leaning forward as if I hadn't heard him right. "What?" I asked in a deadpan tone. Akari suppressed her giggles by smothering her face in a throw pillow. Beyond rubbed his hands evily together.

I looked back at L as he stared at me with a blank, but totally serious, face. "When Light-kun asks you, which I'm 87% sure he will, to become his girlfriend, I am advising you to accept."

 _He wants me to be Light's… girlfriend?_ "Please be joking" I whined, dropping my shoulders childishly.

Beyond snorted. "Yuki, you know L well enough to know he's not joking. Just man up and stop being a baby about it. He won't be that bad."

I recoiled, curling up on the end of the couch. "But I don't wanna be Light's girlfriend," I pouted, resting my chin on the top of my gathered knees. "I don't like him that way. Besides," I said, looking to Beyond, "you're the one who told me to stay away from him. Don't you remember that?"

He shifted, scratching his head. "Yeah, well, that was before I almost got arrested… again."

Even Akari told me to keep it together. "Just think," she added. "Once Light is caught of being Kira, if he _is_ actually Kira, then you won't have to worry about it anymore."

I grunted, still pouting. L tilted his head. "Hmm…"

"What?" I snapped at him.

He kept his locked stare with me. "Well, I assumed that you would be satisfactory with courting Light-kun. He seems like an attractive male to females your age."

I huffed, blowing a piece of silver hair out of my face. "It _seemed_ that way at first, but then I found out that he could be Kira. Now I have to date him!" L's attentive eyes studied me a bit longer than they should have, but he then turned away to address the other two.

"Akari, you are also attending To-Oh currently, correct?" She nodded nervously, hoping he wouldn't assign her a horrid task like mine. "I expect you to make sure things are going accordingly between Light and Yuki. Your duty is to make sure everything is working well with them and to keep a close eye on him from up close."

"What can I do?" Beyond asked. I rolled my eyes. He was sitting up backwards on his side of the couch, his legs sticking high in the air, bending over the top of the couch while his head rested on the floor.

L watched him unamusingly. "You, my wanted criminal, are assigned to an entirely different job."

Suddenly interested, Beyond flipped frontwards off the couch and twirled around. "Am I keeping a close eye on the jam in the fridge? I believe the strawberry is doing some shady business with the grape."

Akari snorted, gazing at the black haired lunatic. He gave her a goofy, but mischievous, grin back. I rolled my eyes. _At least she can date a guy she likes. I have to date Light. I hope he doesn't ask me. Wait, are Beyond and Akari dating?_

I gave her that look. She shrugged. _I guess not… yet._

Beyond waited impatiently for L's answer, but the detective just stood up, looking out the window at the rising morning sun. "Is it Saturday already? I haven't been paying attention lately," he mumbled to himself.

The three of us followed him in silence as he moved slowly out the door and into the next room. Mr. Yagami immediately stood up to acknowledge the detective. "Light left home just a few minutes ago. I'm guessing that he won't be back for awhile."

L nodded, but said nothing. Instead he continued through the room and on to the kitchen. We stood around the entrance while he went to the fridge and pulled out a plate of cake.

Akari looked at him strangely so he announced, "It helps keep me awake after long nights." Then he added, "Besides, it's too delicious to pass up." She rolled her eyes as he perched at the breakfast bar without another word and started eating the cake.

I tapped my foot impatiently. Glancing at me, he shoved the fork full of cake in his mouth while continuing to stare at me. Finally, after a couple more bites and his intense stare while eating, I burst out laughing. Clutching my stomach, I wiped away small tears.

As amusing I thought it was, Beyond huffed. "Can you _please_ tell us something?"

"Alright," he finally said slowly. After swallowing a piece of cake, the detective sighed with boredom. "Come back tomorrow and I'll have more information. Right now I would like to resume with observing the Yagami household."

Beyond and Akari let out a perturbed sigh of frustration. I shrugged, leaning against the aisle. "Whatever you say. My dad has a doctor's appointment I've gotta take him to."

"Before you go," he said, gulping down another piece, "I would like to tell you all that there is room here for you to stay." He glanced at Beyond, staring the killer down hard. "For you, Beyond, you are now here under my authority and must stay with us until I decided to release you." I guess that's what you get for sneaking out of prison.

Akari's eyes glanced in another direction. "Is the room next to us available?"

"Watari books the entire floor when we stay at a hotel so no one interrupts our private business."

"I'll stay with you guys every weekend then," she announced, smiling proudly. "My mom has her new boyfriend over all the time so she won't care." Her purple eyes snuck over to Beyond and winked at him playfully, causing him to blush.

"I'll try and make it here whenever Watari messages me," I informed L, slipping my coat on over my black turtleneck. "Between school and my job it'll be pretty hard to balance, but I'll manage."

He gave a quick nod before resuming his snack. Beyond trudged into the other room with the rest of the Task Force and plopped down on the couch with an exhausted sigh. Akari joined him.

When it was just L and I in the kitchen, he stopped eating. "I must let you know that now you are a valuable asset us."

"What do you mean _now_?"

"Light is my number one suspect, but I cannot be around him 24/7. That is where you come in. With your irresistible charm and keen undercover skills you prove your importance to keeping an eye on him."

 _Irresistible charm?_ L's eyes were firm with respect, but it gave me a shiver. I knew I couldn't screw this up or I'd never hear the end of it. Become Light's girlfriend, get evidence on him, and convict him. Easy enough, right?

As I was leaving the building I got a text from Akari: _Good luck with Mission Boyfriend! ;)_ Rolling my eyes, I replied back: _Shut up -_-_ Slipping my phone into my pocket, I hurried down the street.

* * *

 _Sorry if it took me forever to update this! I was busy… with watching AOT. Yeah, it's a deep hole. ANYWAYS…_

 _Can Yuki become Light's girlfriend without him suspecting her? What job does Beyond get? Will L ever finish his cake?! Keep following to find out what happens next time. XD_


	11. Disaster

After I left the hotel, I headed straight for home. Dad had to get to his doctor's appointment soon and I had to come with because sometimes he could get… unstable, as you know.

Dad was already in the car waiting for me. I hurried up the driveway and opened the door, jumping into the driver's seat. "Right on time," he said, checking his watch.

"Good," I said casually, putting on my seatbelt. As I pulled out of our driveway, I felt his eyes studying me curiously.

The further we drove, the harder his stare became. I tried to ignore it, shifting uncomfortably in my seat. Finally, I peeked out of the corner of my eye and saw him still staring after five minutes.

"Where did you go this morning?" he asked, voice cold with suspicion.

I shrugged, turning a corner. "Akari needed me so I went over to her house."

"Uh huh," he replied, unconvinced. "What did she need help with?"

I blushed, my mind spinning for an answer. I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Dating advice." He blinked, unsure whether or not to believe me. "Yeah, she's thinking about her relationship with Beyond."

His face softened, as if nostalgia suddenly hit him in the head like a frying pan. "Oh, I see. Young love…" I sighed mentally, glad to be off topic. "Speaking of Beyond, where is the little killer now?"

I mentally slapped myself for bringing up that idiot. "Uh, ya know, still hiding in Akari's basement. He actually likes it down there." Shut up. "I think he likes Akari, too, but they haven't really figured out their feelings yet." SHUT UP YUKI! "It's kinda like Light and I."

Another mental slap as Dad hummed thoughtfully. "What does that mean?" I wanted to pound my head against the steering wheel. "Are you two dating?"

"NO!" I said defensively, slamming on the brakes. The car jerked roughly right before the busy intersection. The red stop light suddenly blinked on.

Dad frantically grabbed the safety handle above the window. "HOLY KNIVES! " A car behind me honked as we came to a quick, hard stop. At least nobody hit our bumper.

Letting out a frustrated breath, I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the headrest. "Can we just drop this subject?" His breaths slowed down as my heartbeat lowered.

"Alrighty then," he murmured, still in slight shock. The light above us turned green so I quickly, but extremely carefully, turned the corner onto the next street.

We were silent for the rest of the car ride. Two minutes of utter, unbearable silence, we finally arrived. Locking my car, I followed Dad inside the "special" clinic. It's special because it deals with people who have problems, like Dad.

As Dad checked himself in, I sat in the waiting area. An adult woman with a teenage girl sat across from me. The teen was lying against the weary mother's shoulder, sleeping.

An elderly lady sat patiently in the back corner, flipping through a magazine. Then, across the old lady sat an adult male. He was perched in his chair oddly, just like L. But he was completely different… This guy was scratching his ear with his foot.

 _Uh, that's unusual…_ Dad got called in immediately so I hoped we wouldn't have long to wait. I texted Akari who was still at L's hotel room. Beyond would get his own room and Akari would sleep on the couch whenever she came over.

Just as I sent out my last text, a nurse walked in. Though her nametag said Amy the words above her head said _Amelia Chang._ "Mei Yutaka?" The mother across from me ruffled the girl's hair and whispered in her ear.

The teen ( _Mei Yutaka_ ) instantly shot up and stared at the nurse. Her whole demeanor suddenly changed. From peaceful to extremely sceptic and terrified. "NO!" she screamed, backing away. "I know that you're planning to get rid of me! I won't let you take me! You're all turning against me!" I sighed sadly. _Schizophrenia._ It took two other nurses to drag the teen down the hallway while the mother watched with pain in her eyes.

A few minutes later, Amelia Chang, who was writing on her clipboard in the front of the room glanced over to the old lady in the corner. "Uh, Miss Uzaku, your appointment ended two hours ago."

The tranquil lady ( _Esther Uzaku_ ) looked up from her magazine and gave a gentle smile, her face wrinkled and frail. "I know dear. I'm waiting for my husband. He always takes a long time in there. I think he'll be back in a few more minutes."

The nurse's face fell and her eyes filled with a pity I've never seen so much of in one person's eyes. "Miss Uzaku…" she said soothingly, taking the old lady's hand gently. "Your husband died five years ago."

My heart broke as a flood of tears brimmed at the old lady's eyes. "Oh, silly me, I must've forgot again." Slowly and shakily she stood up and grabbed her cane. "I'll be off then." She hobbled out the door while the rest of us watched at the brink of tears. _Dementia._

The man who'd been scratching his ear like a dog ( _Zakita Taylor)_ whimpered, catching the attention of Amelia Chang. "Oh Mr. Taylor, please control yourself." From her pocket she pulled out a treat that instantly caught the man's attention. She lured him down the hall with it.

I crossed my arms, looking at the floor. I felt bad for the people who had to work here, but I also respect them. They have to deal with this everyday, but never give up. Yeah, it must be tough, but so are they.

A piercing scream from the end of the hallway jolted me to the bone. "AHH!" There were two screams. One was a woman, and the other was a male. I instantly recognized the male. _Dad!_ Running out of the waiting room and past the other frantic nurses and doctors, I sprinted to the end of the hall and pushed the door open.

My father was hovering above the nurses with a sharp needle in his shaky hand. When he saw me and we made eye contact, I knew this was another episode. A very dangerous one.

"D-Dad, please put it down," I pleaded, raising my hands up defensively as he debated on what to do. "This isn't you. Please just think about this and-"

"I am thinking!" he shouted furiously, sweat dripping down his face. "I can't take it here anymore!" His hands were shaking violently, eyes twitching.

"Don't make any rash decisions," I said calmly, stepping closer. He flinched the closer I got, but I stopped going forward, trying not to push it. "Please just hand me the needle."

As I reached closer, hoping to seize it before he did anything, Dad made a swift move. Stabbing me in the arm with the unknown needle, slightly injecting me with the mysterious liquid, he pushed past me and out of the room.

The nurses screamed in fear as I tumbled to the ground, the needle stuck in my arm. Cringing, I got it out with a quick tug and tossed it across the floor.

The side effects hadn't kicked in yet, so I scrambled up and bolted after my frenzied father. In the waiting area and front desk, shouts of panic and orders were mixed in with chaos.

The doors were opened and I spotted my father's figure darting down the sidewalk, dodging everyone in his way. _Dang it! He's getting away! Hopefully he doesn't harm anyone._

I raced down the street after him, brushing and bumping abruptly against people's arms. I almost knocked a lot of people over as I tried to catch up with my father.

I caught Dad at the end of the street, running straight into busy traffic. "DAD!" I shouted. Pushing myself as fast as I could, I heaved my body after him harder than ever before.

Honks of horns sounded off incessantly in the street. Dad was halfway across when a semi truck came barrelling down the road, not bothering to slow down.

With a forceful leap, I grabbed onto Dad and yanked him out of the way along with me just as the truck pounded over the spot he once stood. We landed on the sidewalk with a rough thud. Voices of worry and anger filled the streets as we laid on the ground, dazed and in pain. Instead of becoming more clear, my vision started getting blurry.

The luminescent color of white came into view so I thought I was dying. But the sound of familiar voices brought me back to reality. The nurses in their white dresses, doctors wearing their white coats.

Beside me, Dad's body moaned as he stirred. I sighed, glad he was okay and that he didn't kill anyone. Remembering the needle, I tried to say something to the nurses attempting to pick us up, but it came out as a groan.

The last thing I remember before blacking out into sleep was the smell of coffee from the Starbucks right behind us. _I could really use a vanilla bean right now…_

* * *

"She looks like crap."

"Well, she did get stabbed with a needle."

"And almost hit by a truck."

"And fainted in the middle of the sidewalk."

"She kinda looks hungry, too. Should we feed her?"

"She's sleeping."

"Maybe she wants jam?"

"NO! MY JAM!"

"Beyond, grow up."

"She is awaking now."

My eyes, still blurry, blinked open. A bright light filled my eyes instead of the darkness that had surrounded me for the past hour or two. I don't even remember how long I've been asleep.

"Uuuugggghhh." My attempt to speak came out in a jumble of mixed feelings and tone. "V-Vanilla bean…" I smiled with desire, licking my lips.

"Yuki," came a warm, familiar voice. But it wasn't Akari's or Beyond's. When my vision slowly, but surely, adjusted, I bolted upright to come face to face with L.

"L?" My thoughts started pieces together properly and my head eventually stopped its incessant spinning. "Where am I?" I looked around. It seemed like a hotel room, and I was laying under the covers of a bed. My everyday clothes were changed to a white longsleeve shirt and grey sweatpants.

Akari, Beyond, and L were all sitting on my bed. L on my right side, Akari on my left, and Beyond at my feet. "Ah!" I gasped, realizing how close everyone was. "What happened?"

"Your dad went psycho!" Beyond snickered with amusement. L and Akari shot him down with death glares. He shrunk back and shut up.

"Remember getting stabbed with a needle?" Akari asked gently. "Well, let's just say it was meant for patients who couldn't settle down."

I blinked, leaning back against the headboard of the bed. "So, I passed out?" She nodded. My heart suddenly began racing as I looked around for someone. "Where's Dad?"

L shifted his feet and bit his thumbnail. "It is most unfortunately to inform you, but I must. Your father had been admitted into the Tokyo mental clinic downtown."

Shaking my head, I trying to push them off the bed so I could get up. But Akari held me down. "He's being treated with care, Yuki," she said calmly, but sternly. "Don't worry, he's in safe hands."

"But he needs _me_!" I protested, trying not to cry. "I told him I'd always be there for him! He probably thinks I betrayed him!"

"He knows you did no such thing," L spoke up as I struggled. "I privately conversed with him." I stopped wrestling Akari to stare at him. "I discussed your current situation with the the Task Force and I. He's agreed to let you stay with us."

"I can go home," I argued, crossing my arms. "I'm not five. I can live on my own." But I didn't want to. I still wanted Dad.

"Just stop fighting Yuki," Akari said with exhaustion.

"No," I snapped, pushing her off me. "I'm going home." Sliding out of bed, I slipped on some socks and my boots which were lying beside the nightstand.

"Yuki," Akari protested, scrambling up off the ground. "Just wait! You can't-"

"Let her go," L interrupted pitifully, staring at me coldly. "Give her some time to think. She'll understand."

I scoffed at him, gliding across the room and out the door. I didn't bother even glancing in the direction of the Task Force members. Marching outside, I ran back home.

My house. It looked bleak without lively people inside. My car had been parked in the driveway. I hurried past it and burst through the front door. The first thing I noticed was that it was cold. Lifeless. Broken.

Strolling slowly through the living room, my eyes fell on the pictures set on top of the fireplace mantle. Most of them were of me. Younger years, school pictures, and family pictures.

Further down, I stopped at the frame holding my parents. Both were smiling gleefully into the camera. The background was under a covering of tall, luxurious trees. They took this picture the fall before Mom died.

In the kitchen, I realized that most of the food in the fridge was spoiling. I didn't bother taking them out. Instead, I just unplugged the refrigerator to save energy, and my future electric bill.

Upstairs in my room, I laid out on my bed and, for some reason, decided to talk to myself. "I'm gonna miss this house." I knew, thinking back, that Dad needed professional help, not mine. I'd try and visit him, but he was better attended for there. I could do nothing for him while I was at school.

Everything belonged to Dad after Mom died. One day, when he dies, it will go to me. And I plan to sell every last bit of it. Even my things. After college I plan to get rid of my stuff and start anew, somewhere better.

My mind wandered back to L. "You know, you can be an insensitive detective sometimes, but you're right." With a longing sigh, I pushed myself off the bed and started packing.

In one large, blue suitcase I put in all the clothes I wanted, including shirts and jeans and other stuff. In another suitcase, smaller, I put in cheerful pictures of my parents, my special treasures, and everything else I wanted. Everything that I needed with me could be fit inside two suitcases.

Around back, turning off the electricity and water, I stacked my suitcases in my trunk and went back inside. Absorbing everything around me in a long, deep breath, I smiled. "I guess this is goodbye."

Locking the door, I hid one key under the mat and another in the outside window sill. Taking in one last look at my childhood home, I turned on the engine and back out of the driveway. "Bye," I murmured, driving down the street.

Back at the hotel, I parked my car in the back space of the parking lot and grabbed my suitcases from the trunk. Locking it, I marched inside and up to L's floor.

Bursting inside, I found everyone staring at me with curious eyes. L, from his perched position in a chair, smirked. "Well, I see you have finally come crawling back to us."

Rolling my eyes, I dropped my suitcases on the floor. "Fine, I'll stay with you guys while we're trying to catch Kira. But I'm here on my own terms."

"What does that mean?" growled Aizawa, crossing his arms.

"It means I come and go when I want," I snapped, crossing my arms, too, challengingly. I was still in college so there's that to add to my now-busy days. "I want my house to be cleaned while no one is there, just so it doesn't deteriorate. Also, I want my own room."

Matsuda hummed. "Well, it doesn't seem like a lot to ask." He looked at L, waiting for his answer like everyone else.

I narrowed my eyes at the debating detective who was sipping his dark tea. "Hey, you're the one that suggested I stay here. I mean, you do need me." I gave him a playful wink.

"Alright," he replied, stirring his drink. "Your requests will be taken care of. Watari, please take Ms. Miyoshi's bags to her room." The old man nodded and did so efficiently.

 **Later**

I knocked on L's door and twiddled my thumbs, waiting for him to open. When he did, he silently invited me in. He sat on a chair while I sat on the edge of his bed.

We stared motionlessly at each other in silence, letting the vibration of L's computer fill the quiet room. "So, will Dad be alright?" I asked meekly, swinging my legs.

"Yes, your father is in responsible care. Though I doubt he will be released soon." I nodded, understanding his transgressions.

"So…" I rubbed the back of my neck. "How about that detective life?"

His eyes narrowed slightly. "Yuki, I know your intentions of coming to me were not to discuss the mundane parts of life. What is it that you really want?"

I sighed, lowering my head. "I need to tell you something…" He waited. His attentive eyes were studying me. "I have a secret."

 **To Be Continued…**


	12. Memories From the Past

_Hehe, most of you probably guessed it. Anyways, thanks for the reviews and I'm glad you guys like the story so far! :D_

 _P.S, just wanna say that this chapter I'd really like to highlight Yuki's past a little more. No, not about her mother… yet (SPOILERS NO!). This chapter will be more about Yuki's old rebellious life and some… stuff… that happened in high school. Hope you don't mind, I just wanna kinda make the story interesting. Don't worry, innocent Light is in it, too. ;)_

 _P.P.S Sorry for the mistakes! I didn't have time to go over this but I will soon!_

* * *

 **Previously…**

I knocked on L's door and twiddled my thumbs, waiting for him to open. When he did, he silently invited me in. He sat on a chair while I sat on the edge of his bed.

We stared motionlessly at each other in silence, letting the vibration of L's computer fill the quiet room. "So, will Dad be alright?" I asked meekly, swinging my legs.

"Yes, your father is in responsible care. Though I doubt he will be released soon." I nodded, understanding his transgressions.

"So…" I rubbed the back of my neck. "How about that detective life?"

His eyes narrowed slightly. "Yuki, I know your intentions of coming to me were not to discuss the mundane parts of life. What is it that you really want?"

I sighed, lowering my head. "I need to tell you something…" He waited. His attentive eyes were studying me. "I have a secret."

 **Back to the story…**

"I have a secret." _This better be the right decision… No turning back now._ "I don't know if you know this about Beyond, but he- we both have red eyes. With these red eyes we can… we can see a person's real name-" I stopped myself. Should I tell him about a person's lifespan?

No, I decided against it. I glanced swiftly above his head and blinked. His numbers were going down. Looking at the floor, I tried to ignore it. _Everyone's numbers go down sooner or later._

His steel eyes were staring at me intensely as he sat motionless in his chair. His grip tightened around the teacup that suspended in mid-air. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I wanted badly for the deafening silence to end. _Say something already._

When he didn't I knew he was calculating things in his head, putting together puzzles and adding more questions to that big brain of his. "Your name," I said, adding on. "I know that. It's-" I looked around to make sure we were completely alone. "It's L Lawliet."

The biggest emotion in L I've seen so far is when his eyes widened at the sound of his name being said aloud. Then they were fixed back to the emotionless steel fortress. "I think we have established that you know my name."

Shrugging slightly, I hugged myself and curled up on his bed, waiting for a while. He sat in front of me, but his eyes were drifting away someone I couldn't reach. He was deep in his mind, questioning a million things. I knew it was rude to interrupt him so I let him think.

"I am still attempting to grasp this concept," he murmured, rubbing his bottom lip. The teacup was set on the coffee table as he averted his eyes back to me. "You and Beyond are able to see any person's real name…?"

I nodded, sitting back up and crossing my legs on the edge of his bed. "Yeah, that's how we know your name. We know a person's name before meeting them."

If it were possible, a lightbulb would've lit up above the detective's head. Some sort of idea had popped into his mind as he dropped his thumb from his lip and slipped out of his chair.

Shuffling quietly across the floor, he went to the window and peeked out past the curtains. It was night, around midnight or so, and the city was still buzzing with nightowls.

"If you are telling the truth-"

"I am."

"-then I believe our deal has changed." Snapping my head in his slouching direction, I frowned.

"What are you talking about?" I inquired, annoyance rising up in me. "I told you I was here on my own terms. Besides, I know your real name-"

"I don't think you would want my name leaking into the public," he shot back in an icy tone. "I have high authority, especially in law enforcement." He had strided over to me, already hovering above my figure on the bed. "To put it into terms you might understand," he whispered furiously, leaning down to my face, "I can do whatever I want to you. For the crimes you have committed with your friends, including the ones that have gone unnoticed, the police would love to make an example of you. They always are looking for teenagers to strangle with the hands of the law."

I froze, unsure of what to make of him. His tall, slender body was leaned on top of my crouching, cowering form. His voice was firm and clear, but low and mysterious. This L meant business. No one should mess with him.

 _My crimes that have gone unnoticed? How does he know about that? That stuff- it was personal. I thought only Akari knew… L, who are you?_ I wanted to go home, but I knew he was kinda right. I had committed a couple meager crimes in my teen years that could've gotten me in trouble. But I'm eighteen- no, just because I'm technically an adult doesn't mean I can escape the law. W _hat exactly does he mean our deal has changed?_ "What about our deal?" I asked meekly.

Eventually he moved back and away from my face. Instead he just stood up, slouched still, and looked down at me. I sat up straighter as he answered. "The new deal is simple to comprehend. I will not inform anyone of your crimes and make sure you do not get into trouble. In exchange…" He narrowed his eyes and a slight smirk of victory and control flashed across his face. "You will work for me. Be my eyes. I intend to use your power whenever I need it. People these days are not likely to reveal their true names as they use to."

My fists curled as my red eyes flashed. _He just wants to use me for his own benefit? I guess I have no choice. It's my fault for being so stupid back then._ My mind flashed back to high school, but I quickly shook it away. _No time for flashbacks Yuki._

Bouncing up, I leveled up to L. We were the same height, but only because he was slouching. Narrowing my fiery eyes, I swallowed the rebellious lump in my throat.

"Fine," I spat angrily, pushing away from him and marching out of the room. _Ugh, he makes my life so difficult._

* * *

Akari didn't take the news that L was technically blackmailing me well. At first she wanted to strangle him. Then she calmed down and said it _was_ my fault. Then she said she wanted to throw him out a window and run over him with a semi truck.

Beyond just shrugged and said "That's what you get for telling him you idiot." The killer was also technically being held here by L. At least he didn't go back to prison.

Light suddenly exploded through the room as I heard curtains being whipped open. My head was stuffed under my pillow and my body covered in a soft comforter.

"Wake up sunshine!" shouted Akari, leaping onto my bed and bouncing up and down. "Time to get to work!"

Well, "work" was actually going to the school to spy on Light because he was taking his entrance exams. He and L, as a matter of fact. Akari and I were there for moral support. Beyond… well, I wasn't actually sure why he was there.

As I stood outside the big building, clouds looming over the city, I shivered. My hair was down in a braid and I wore my usual black overcoat. Next to me was my fidgeting friend wearing a red overcoat similar to mine.

"Let's go," she muttered distastefully, scowling at the cold wind. Hopefully, according to the sexy meteorologist, this should be one of the last cold days of the month.

Inside we strolled down the hallways of the high school where the students would be taking the exams. Ah, yes, my old high school. Like a walk down memory lane. Scary, rebellious, lively, memory lane…

As we turned the corner, we bumped into someone. Beyond. Akari bursted out laughing when she saw his outfit. Beyond, in fact, was dressed as a custodian.

"You look like a pervert," she said, giggling at his grey jumpsuit. He even had a little hat and a nametag over his chest area.

He scowled, leaning against the end of a mop. "It's not my fault! This is the job L gave me! I have to pretend to be a janitor and spy on Light."

I smirked and shook my head. "Well, may I just say, the jumpsuit is fitting for you. Makes you look like a creeper." Akari continued to chortle until Beyond elbowed her.

Swinging the mop around like a ninja, the killer in disguise smirked. "Hey, that kid won't see what's coming to him. I'm gonna be the best dang custodian To-Oh University has ever seen!"

Waving the wooden tool around, he attempted to twirl it with his hands. The first time was perfect, but the second time he used to much force and it whammed into the front of my forehead.

"OW! Eh-!" The hard blow flung me back and down to the polished concrete floor. Then, everything went black… Man, I black way too much.

* * *

 _It's October, the perfect month of the year. Excitement buzzed in the school. Even Akari was more peppy than usual, which is saying something. I think she just likes this month because it's the month of Halloween. Yes, Japan loves Halloween as much as cheesy Americans do._

 _My uncle was visiting for the week and, since I was late, I decided to borrow new sports car. A red, sleek car was parked in the driveway when I walked outside. I hurriedly swiped his keys from the counter and took off. Luckily they were both sleeping so they didn't notice._

 _I climbed in the car and zoomed off towards school. The purr of the engine heating up made me shiver with excitement. Being in eleventh grade, I was at a rebel stage and felt joyriding in a car to be fun._

 _As I came upon a corner, I turned the wheel, but since I was going too fast, it wouldn't turn as fast as I wanted to. "STOP!" I shouted as I skidded across traffic into the oncoming lane._

 _Crap._

 _The bumper slammed into the front of another car, the spun past a blue van. I prayed I wouldn't crash because I'd be in SO much trouble if I was caught. Thankfully, I didn't hurt anyone as I emerged from the traffic jam._

 _School was just up ahead when I hit a bump and crashed into a tree. The blow was so hard the airbag went off and hit me in the face. Recoiling, I covered my face with my hands and whimpered._

 _Smoke was coming from the damaged hood as I unbuckled my seatbelt. Pushing myself out of the driver's seat, I dragged my aching body onto the grass. Since the spinning slowed me down before I hit the tree, I didn't get too hurt._

 _Staring up at the mess I'd made, I grimaced._

 _Crap. Crap. Crap. I'm dead._

 _Instantly, instead of owning up, I bolted into the trees. Using them as my cover, I crouched under the bushes and snuck closer to school. Emerging from the shadows, I wiped the dry blood off my face and continued on the sidewalk into school._

 _In the bathroom, before anyone saw me, I washed my bruised face with soap and water. Drying off, I sighed and stared at my eleventh grade self in the mirror. I'm such an idiot._

 _In class that day I told Akari what happened and she rolled her eyes, muttering about how stupid I was. But, she didn't tell a single soul. When I got home, my uncle explained how his car was stolen and crashed. No one saw who took it, thank you God._

 _The week slowed down with action as I slid under the radar, letting the guilt slip from my conscious._

 _In my science class, we were told to pick partners for a lab project. Instantly my eyes went to Akari, but as we moved up to pick partners, her crush came up and asked if they wanted to partner. Immediately she shot me a GET AWAY glare._

 _I sighed and let her be. When it comes to her crushes, she won't hesitate to say yes to anything. That logic leads to some crazy things._

 _Someone tapped me on the shoulder from behind. I turned around to see Light Yagami smiling at me, a slight blush on his face. "Hey, Yuki, I noticed that you don't have a partner."_

 _Light Yagami was in a grade lower than me, but since he was so smart he got switched to an upper science class. My class._

 _I nodded and grinned. "Sure!" He was actually pretty cute. And smart. And charming. Gosh, so many amazing characteristics…_

 _We sat in the corner of the room and planned our project. It was pretty simple. We decided to do a chemistry demonstration for our project. I knew I'd enjoy this._

 _After a couple weeks of working, we were finally finished. Presenting it clearly to the class, we got an A+ (of course we would, with Light). I assumed that after that day he'd forget about me and move on, but he didn't._

 _It was a day later and the halls were empty. I'd come out from the bathroom, throwing away the damp paper towel in the trash. Light passed me just as I came around the corner._

 _He stopped and smiled when he realized it was me. "Hey Yuki!" he said with a warm grin, his hall pass under his left arm. "The teacher said he loved our science project."_

 _I smiled and looked down, trying to hold in my blush. "Yeah, we did do a pretty good job. I mean, chemistry is pretty hard to master but you did it perfectly. I'm surprised."_

 _Taking a step forward, our left arms touched. His warm, charming voice was so close to my ear I would feel his smooth, mint-scented breath. "We both make great chemistry together, don't you agree?"_

 _A chill ran up my spine as our hands brushed. He squeezed it once, I squeezed it twice. "Y-Yeah, I feel the same way." My voice was sort of firm, but a furious blush set upon my cheeks._

 _Speaking of my cheek, he leaned over and kissed it. His smooth lips brushed up against my skin as he laid the sweet kiss on my cheek. "See you later." Letting go of my hand, he strided down the hall and disappeared._

 _When I told Akari, she almost fainted with excitement. "NO WAY!" she cooed, winking playfully. "School's cutest couple for sure."_

 _We hung out for awhile after that. Light was actually the one person who led me away from joyriding in anymore cars. Before that sports car incident, I use to shut myself out from people. I only talked to Akari. Yeah, I got the best grades and stuff, but I never socialized. I just didn't care. I didn't care what I did. At home everything was focused on Dad and all the things I had to do to keep things running smoothly._

 _But after Light and I became friends, I actually opened up. I made more friends and even joined speech class. My eleventh grade turned around when I met Light._

 _But we stopped talking when I went to University. Since we didn't see each other at school, we just didn't talk. Even though I didn't see him, I was still social. It was who I truly was. Light just brought it out in me._

 _I think he forgot about me though. Yeah, he knew about my mural paintings. Everyone did. But our friendship died. I look more mature anyway. Definitely not the same as I was in high school._

Now look at us. I'm babysitting his little sister. I'm in college and he's going to be in the same one as me for sure. I know it. Fate is bringing him back to me for some reason. Maybe it's due to the fact that I can't see his lifespan. What does that mean?

* * *

Blinking, I rubbed my head and looked up. Akari and Beyond were hovered over me, laughing and trying to look concerned.

I frowned, glaring up at them. "I could've died," I muttered, crossing my arms.

They rolled their eyes. "You just blacked out for five minutes," Akari said. "It wasn't a life or death situation."

"Hey, I flashed back to high school. It was pretty much death for me." They shared a look and bursted out laughed. Rolling my eyes, I sat up and watched them tumble to the floor in laughter. Before long as I rolling on the ground too, laughing at their idiocy. Everyday idiocy.


	13. An Official Couple

_MEOW and welcome back to my story. It's the weekend which means it's time to relax and be glad summer is almost here! Please enjoy this chapter._

 _Thanks ;) (and review if ya want)!_

* * *

As we peeked our three heads above the classroom door window, I was able to get a closer view on what was happening. Students were spread out around the vast testing room, pencils scraping across the papers in front of them.

Akari and Beyond squeezed in next to me, muttering that they couldn't see. "Shh!" I snapped, raising a finger to my lips and glaring at them. Returning my attention back to the classroom, I studied the students closer.

Ah, the newbies. I remember when I was sitting in this classroom, in those same seats. Exactly one year ago, I was the excited newbie, exuberant about my new college life. Of course I was nervous, too, just like everyone else.

In the middle of the room, right next to the aisle, sat my future boyfriend, Light Yagami. I shivered at the thought that I might be dating Kira. _Hey, stop thinking that! Who knows, L may be wrong about his suspicions and Light might be innocent._ I chuckled at my own thoughts. L, wrong? Never. Squinting slightly, I eyed the teen more closely. On his desk, he casually flipped over his booklet and sighed at his answer sheet. Already done, that quick genius.

As my eyes lingered on him and the people sitting around him, I spotted another quick genius in the area. L, donned in his normal attire, sat a couple desks behind him. The professor _(Higashiosaka)_ noticed him as well and began walking down the aisle. He spoke to L, but I was behind the door so it was hard to hear. Probably something about the weird way he was sitting.

Something about the way Light and L made eye contact with each other created a chill up my spine. Shaking my head, I backed up. "Light has seen him. There's no turning back now."

Akari glanced nervously in that direction, crossing her arms. "If we're the ones spying on him, why go out in public to see Light? Isn't he just making things worse by showing his face, especially to a suspect?"

"I think he's trying to get close to Light himself," Beyond concluded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. His red eyes were tilted upwards towards the ceiling. "Even though three other people are spying on him, he may see something in the guy that we can't see. Ironic, isn't it? You and I have the special eyes, but sometimes we _can't_ see everything. Sometimes fate won't let us until the time is right."

Akari and I blinked in surprise, gaping at the sudden change in persona. In a quick second after realizing his genius mode was one, Beyond flashed a goofy grin. "Or he just has a crush on Light and wants to stalk him up close."

"There's the Beyond we know," Akari muttered, instantly annoyed again. I chuckled lightly, but snuck a suspicious glimpse at Beyond. _Sometimes I forget that he use to be one of L's successors._

We stood outside the door for another ten minutes, chatting and being idiots, until Akari and Beyond decided to leave. Akari had the duty of getting groceries, and L's sweets, for the hotel. Beyond was just tagging along out of boredom.

Ten more minutes after they left, I was still playing on my phone when the sound of scraping chairs came from inside the testing room. I looked up to see teens filing out of the room, glad and relieved to be finished.

My eyes searched the crowd for L as I waited, but I met someone else first. "Hey Yuki." Light's voice startled me as he emerged from the decreasing group. "I didn't expect to see you here."

I smiled shyly, rubbing the back of my neck. "Yeah, well, I just, um, came to, uh-"

"Let me guess," he spoke up, cutting off my stuttering. "You knew I was gonna be here taking the exams so that's why you came." He winked playfully, smirking at his own sarcasm.

Rolling my red eyes I replied, "Yeah right. Keep telling yourself that." L passed behind Light and gave me a firm nod, making sure I knew what to do. I made no acknowledge with my body, but more with my eyes.

When L was barely around the corner and out of sight, Light spun around and nudged my arm. "Hey, let me walk you to your car." I nodded politely and followed him, trailing closely to his side.

Outside, the blossoms were blooming in the vast trees around us. Climate was warmer today so no one needed a coat. The sky was almost cloudless, only a touch of the puffy white figure spotted the blue scenery. Today was a pretty gorgeous day for a walk, even if it was to the parking lot.

As we strolled down the sidewalk across the school lawn, our dangling hands soon found each other. His warm fingers enlaced with mine and he squeezed. We shared a kind smile, but I was holding back. Something didn't feel right. The soft hands I use to feel in high school had changed. There was something different about Light, but it was too early to pin point exactly.

We reached my car at the end of the parking lot. I turned around to say goodbye, but Light stood in front of me and gently pushed me against the door. Kissing me softly, he wrapped his arms around my waist and then pulled me into a goodbye hug.

Letting go, he blushed and stepped back, but the confident look in his eyes told me he knew exactly what he wanted. "Yuki, lately I've had a question I want to ask you and-"

"Yes," I replied a little too eagerly, cutting him off. "Yes, I'll be your girlfriend." I just really wanted this to be over with so I could go back to the hotel and take a nice long bath. Yeah, I wanted to take a bubble bath. Don't judge!

A pleasant and delighted smile lit up his tan face as he sighed with relief. "Good." Laying a tender kiss on my cheek, he said goodbye and began walking home.

"Wait!" I called out, running up to him. Squeezing his hand, I led him back to me. "I'll give you a ride." With a thankful nod, he got in.

At least the drive to his house wasn't too awkward. We talked normally, as if nothing had changed between us. It was almost comforting. "Sometime soon we'll have you come over," Light informed me when we were almost to his house. "I'll most likely be gone and Mom has a lot of errands to run. You don't mind, do you?"

I grinned, actually looking forward to seeing Sayu. "Of course I don't mind. It's my job."

Before Light left, he leaned over and kissed me lightly on the cheek. "I was wondering if you'd come to the opening ceremony with me?" he asked. I nodded and said I'd love to. I'd be officially going as his girlfriend.

* * *

"This doesn't seem right," Akari murmured next to me. Our eyes were fixed on the stage. Light stood beside L, both of them top of their class. It wasn't surprising that L, even though he _isn't_ supposed to be here, is top of the class. He _is_ a genius, but so is Light.

"What isn't right?" I inquired, glancing between her eyes and the stage. Light started off reading the speech from the large paper while L stood next to him awkwardly, his back arched and eyes slowly scanning the area.

Akari folded her arms and huffed. "Beyond should be here." For the past hour she's been pouting since L wouldn't let Beyond come to the opening ceremony. He told the killer to stay home and eat jam. Jam was all it took for Beyond.

As my eyes flew over the crowd, I cringed and bit my lip. Massaging my forehead, I closed my eyelids and sat back in my seat. My best friend nudged me from the left. "You okay?"

"Yeah," I muttered, squeezing my eyes shut, wishing the pestering headache would stop. "I hate being in big crowds like this. Too many names." _Yoshi. Midoyo. Kasai. Kaori. Taita._ Numerous names flashed before my vision all at once, striking my forehead with a sting.

"Then why did you tell Light you'd come?" she asked with annoyance. She knows I hate coming to things like these, which probably makes her despise Light even more.

"It was my job," I grumbled, shielding my eyes as if I were staring straight into the sun. "L needs me to be with Light so I had to do it."

"When did you start listening to L?" she muttered distastefully.

"When he started blackmailing me," I reminded her quietly. I still couldn't believe he managed to wrap his fingers around me in a hold I can't escape.

Then again, L wasn't so bad. Yeah, he was cold at times and made me do things I don't wanna do (like date Light) but it's all for good intentions. All he wants to do is catch Kira and save this world from a violent killer. Is that so bad? Also, he's kinda sweet once you get to know him. Maybe that's from all sweets he eats a day.

Below us in the floor seats I spotted Light and L in the front row. Something was off about them. L was seated in his normal position, but he was facing Light. The detective's eyes were wide with curiosity, awaiting Light's reaction and expecting something significant about it. Light sat straight, his body unmoving. No, it was almost like he was frozen. Frozen with surprise and utter confusion. If so, though, he didn't show it.

Akari soon followed my gaze below and noticed it, too. "What do you think L- er, Ryuga told him?"

My left shoulder bounced up as I shrugged quickly, still intensely gazing at the situation. _What was L's tactic? He must be saying something to extract some sort of emotion from Light. But what?_

Outside after the ceremony, I skipped over to Light and wrapped my arms around him. He jumped in surprise, but laughed and he rested his hands on me. "Hey, you did a great job!"

Opening his mouth to say something, he got cut off by a meek voice drawing closer to us. "Hey Light." We turned, along with Akari who stood behind us awkwardly, to see L approaching. Or should I say Hideki Ryuga. "Nice meeting you." His eyes skimmed over me for a split second before returning to my boyfriend.

"No, the pleasure was mine." He moved to walk away, but I squirmed out of Light's hold to touch his shoulder, causing him to turn around.

"Hi, I'm Yuki, Light's girlfriend," I greeted, waving my hand and flashing a smile. A real smile. "You're Hideki Ryuga, right? The other genius, huh?"

Turning fully back around, L nodded. "Yes, I am. Light probably hasn't told you a lot about me I am guessing."

"No, actually, I didn't even know you were friends." I nudged my boyfriend. "Light is a people person, so I should expect it."

"Yuki," Light chuckled, pushing me playfully. "Come on, Ryuga probably has to leave anyway." He nodded politely at the raven haired boy. "Again, it was a pleasure to meet you."

"You too," L called as we walked away.

Akari trailed at my side as I linked arms with Light and leaned against his shoulder. The whole time, though, I had this feeling that someone was watching us from behind, though I never got the courage to look around.

* * *

I got done with classes just in time to meet Light out on campus. "Hey," he greeted with a kiss on the cheek. "My mom just texted me and wanted me to ask if you could watch Sayu for a couple hours."

"Right now?" I wondered, though I wasn't really bothered by the idea.

"Yeah, she's got a lot of things to do today."

"Sure, I'll head over now." Checking my watch, I looked up at Light. "What were you planning on doing?"

His gaze lingered towards the tennis courts. "I may see if anyone wants to play tennis. I think Ryuga is free right now, too." I smiled, thinking of L.

"Okay then, see you later!" I grinned at him and began to walk away, calling over my shoulder, "Tell me who wins!" Pacing to my white car, I unlocked the door and slid inside the driver's seat.

Turning the keys, igniting the engine, I repositioned the rear-view mirror. Something in the backseat suddenly caught my attention as I could hear rustling. _Is that breathing, too?_

Before I could react, someone popped up from behind and shouted, "YUKI!" Shrieking, I jolted in surprise and hit my elbow against the steering wheel, pressing the middle of it. The horn went off for a quick second, but long enough to get Akari to fall backwards.

"You moron!" I growled, clutching my chest. Her airy laughter filled the car as she laid on her back in the seat. "What the heck are you doing in my car?!"

"My last class was cut short since the professor had to leave early, so they let us out," she explained as she sat up, displaying a frisky grin. "So I decided to take a nap."

"In the backseat of my car?" I asked, still confused about how she got there. "I locked it!"

"Well, I know, but you really underestimate my pick-locking abilities," she replied carelessly, climbing over the center console to get to the passenger seat. "Now, take me back to L's hotel please."

Shifting, I pulled out of the To-Oh student parking lot and began down the road. Akari still irked me a tiny bit so I didn't talk at all and just listened to her rant about her idiotic classmates in her World History class.

Finally, about four minutes in, she smirked at me. "I'm surprised you're not hanging out with your new boyfriend," she cooed in a jocular tone.

"Tch, whatever." My instant coldness must've miffed her because she turned over and flicked my forehead. "Hey!" I slightly veered on the road, but quickly regained control. "What was that for?"

"Jeez, what do you have to be such a baby?" she muttered, crossing her arms defiantly. "It wasn't such a big deal." She was referring to the surprise in my car.

"Well…" I sighed, giving up my rebellion. "Never mind. I'm not with Light right now because I've gotta watch Sayu for awhile. I'm trying to hurry you back to the hotel so I'm not late."

My red haired friend nodded with understanding, slightly glad to have me not completely mad at her anymore. "It's right up there," she pointed out, a small sigh escaping her lips.

Ever since we all started living at the hotel rooms L had us in, Beyond and Akari grew more close. Yeah, I also did with Beyond. He seemed like a brother to me now. But they bonded more… intimately. Honestly, I think they should just date already. Both miss the other when one is gone for too long. It's pretty obvious, but they just haven't totally realized it yet.

After the detour to the hotel, I made my way to the Yagami household in only five more minutes. Mrs. Yagami had conveniently stepped outside the exact time I pulled into the driveway.

"It's a school night so Sayu needs to be in bed by nine o'clock," she reminded me, again. "I don't know exactly how long I'll be out, but Light should be home sometime tonight. She also needs to do her homework, too."

"I know Mrs. Yagami," I replied politely, wringing out my hands patiently. "Don't worry, I double check everything I need to do."

Her rushed expression softened as a pleased smile came upon her face. "Alright then, I better be going. Many things need to be done." Before getting in her car she added, "Oh, and Sayu promised to bake something sweet for our new neighbors. Could you be a dear and make sure she does everything correctly?"

I nodded and waved Mrs. Yagami off as she maneuvered out of the driveway and down the street. Waiting about a minute, I spun on my heels and skipped inside.

Kicking of my shoes and placing them neatly on the mat, I entered the comfortable home to find Sayu seated upside down on the couch. She reminded me of Beyond in a way, intelligent but usually a total goof.

"Hey," I said casually. My voice startled her into doing a backflip off the couch. With a hard _thump_ she landed on the floor, rubbing her sore butt. "Well, I can see you're not a gymnast."

"Hey!" Recovering almost instantly, Sayu bounced up and swung her arms by her side. "So, what do you wanna do?"

"I hear you have a job to do," I told her, eying the kitchen. At my inference, she groaned and dragged her feet forward. "Want some help?"

Her face brightened at my suggestion. "Yes! I'd love for you to help me! I have _no idea_ what to make."

Tapping my chin, I leaned against the couch in thought. "Hmm, well, do you know anything about your new neighbors?"

"I know that they're vegetarians so they don't eat meat. Also, they like nuts." I snickered, but clasped my hands together with a solution.

"I got it! We can make them Vegan Banana Nut Scones!"

Sayu scrunched her nose. "What's that? It sounds gross."

I laughed and gently pushed her towards the kitchen. "Don't worry, I promise you a million times you'll love it. My mom use to make the best ones!" Gathering all the ingredients, I put them in a pile on the counter.

"Are you sure these are good?" Sayu asked again, still skeptical. "Do you like them?"

"I really hate nuts." Winking, I opened the container of pecans. "But I always made an exception for these. Mom use to make these all the time…" I smiled sadly at the memory of her dancing in the kitchen. I quickly pushed it away, but it did give me an idea.

Leaving Sayu to collect the rest of the materials, I hurried to Light's room upstairs. Passing his bed, I went to the desk and snatched my iPhone from the top of it. I lent it to him because he insisted on fixing the broken screen.

Downstairs, I turned it on and skimmed through my song list, tapping a random song and playing it aloud. It happened to be Chocolate by The 1975. Setting it slightly tilted so the sound echoed throughout the room, I turned to Sayu and smiled.

"Music makes everything more fun."

Sayu preheated the oven and toasted the nuts for a couple minutes. Combining the ingredients in a bowl, I let her whisk while I cut, measured, and mixed well. We split the jobs up in two: Sayu made the scones while I made the maple glaze.

"Okay Sayu, knead the dough right here." I pointed to a clean area on the counter where the dough sat. Scurrying over, she shoved her hands into the squishy matter and began kneading it carefully.

After of full minute of thoroughly kneading, she formed the dough into a thick circle. Picking up a chef's knife, I cut the circle into 8 even slices. Finally, I stuck the tray of the neatly cut pieces into the oven.

For the next 16 minutes we sat down at the dinner table and I taught the girl how to play Blackjack (or 21). After a quick tutorial about how to play the game, we started playing for fun. She's actually pretty good, but I'm better. Then, we started betting.

"I've got three dollars," she said, smacking them down in the middle of the table. Covering her eyes were _my_ sunglasses which I'd lost in a bet. But that was okay because I had her watch which costed about the same so we were even.

I tossed a cheap pack of gum in the betting pile with a sigh. I was running out of things to bet on. "Wanna hit or do you wanna stay?" She looked down at her two cards. She had 15 total: a King of Diamonds and a 5 of Clubs.

"I'll take a hit," she finally said. From the top of the pile I took a card and laid it over in front of her. It was a Queen of Spades.

"Ha! You busted!" Smirking, I looked down at my two King of Hearts. "I win because I got 20!" Snickering, I snatched up the three dollars and pack of gum. Sayu rolled her eyes and huffed.

"Oh well, I still have your sunglasses."

"And I still have your watch."

She paused. "Trade?"

I laughed. "Fine." We returned each other's expensive items back, but I still kept the three dollars, which I had won fair and square.

As I turned off the oven, my phone rang. "Sayu, can you take them out of the oven please?" She nodded and slipped on the oven mitts. Pausing the music, I hurried to my phone on the counter. It was Mrs. Yagami. "Hello?"

"Yuki!" Her voice was urgent and full of distinct worry. "It's Sayu's father; he had a heart attack!"


	14. Detective In Disguise

_Hey guys! Omgosh, I'm so happy to already be on Chapter 14! I still have a lot planned for the story, so don't worry about it ending soon! I want to try and make it into the 20s at least._

 _Oh, and I'm just wondering, do you guys like the long chapters? Or would you rather have a little bit shorter ones? Just wanna know. *Btw, if you want, you can PM me if you're bored or just wanna speak your mind*_

 _Now, without further disruption, the new chapter._

* * *

I sat, curled up with my legs held against my chest, in the hospital room chair. Only Mr. Yagami's heavy breathing and the constant beeping of the monitor filled the room.

From the window I could see the twinkling stars spotted across the cloudless night sky. The bright illuminated light inside made me squint, and I resisted the urge to close my eyelids and sleep.

Mrs. Yagami was in the waiting room with Sayu. They were waiting for Light to arrive, but they were also out there because Sayu almost bursted out crying. I stayed behind to keep a watchful eye on the chief.

My head rested between my pressed legs as I stared lifelessly at the tile floor. _Was this the work of Kira? Killing the Chief of the NPA? No, that can't be true. Kira kills criminals, not people trying to stop criminals._ If L is right about his suspicions, Light wouldn't give his own father a heart attack… would he?

My internal opinions were interrupted by the husky voice of the elderly man. "Yuki, I know this might be out of the blue but… I would like to say thank you."

I blinked in confusion and lifted my head to finally meet the Chief's eyes. "Thank me for what?"

"You take care of my daughter so tenderly. I can't be home these days to be around her, but I'm glad that she has someone like you with her." Light's dad smiled weakly, and as he did the wrinkles on his face creased, his mustache ruffled.

Touched, I pursed my lips and placed a hand on my chest. "Thanks Mr. Yagami. You raised her to be a great girl."

He chuckled, looking away to the open window. "Ah, please do not flatter me. I'm about to tear up." When he thought I wasn't looking he brought his hand to his face and wiped at his eye. "I'm glad my son has you, too." Something instantly tugged at my heart. "I can see how much you mean to him, even if you are only courting him for this investigation. I completely understand."

 _Please Mr. Yagami, you're making this hard for me._ I'm not dating Light because I like him, but of course I couldn't tell Light that. God knows how he'd react. Someday, though, he'll figure it out. I can't date that guy forever.

Before I could answer, the door burst opened and in came two people: Light and L. Light wore a black and white jacket over his clothes, his face painted with concern. L had on his usual attire, along with his usual neutral expression.

"Dad, are you okay?" Light immediately went to his father's side on the other side of the hospital bed. Gripping the rough hand, Light leaned to his father's aid. "I came the moment I heard the news."

"I'm fine, son, thank you." Mr. Yagami took a glimpse at L who sat next to me and opened his mouth to speak, but someone else came in and interrupted.

"Dad!" Sayu, followed by her mother, rushed inside and right next to Light. Her eyebrows were scrunched with fret, dry tears stained her cheeks. Mrs. Yagami smiled sadly, squeezing her daughter's shoulders.

"I'm fine everyone," he reassured us, scooting up into a straighter position. "It was only due to my old age side effects. Please stop worrying."

After a short conversation, Mrs. Yagami took Sayu and left, telling us goodbye and that she would check on him tomorrow. Instantly after the door closed and it was just the four of us, the atmosphere changed. It was more quiet, a distant feeling left the room along with the peppy girl and her caring mother.

"So the doctor's think stress was the only cause?" Light asked, leaning forward on his elbows.

"Yeah," answered the Chief, finally laid back and relaxed. He needed the rest after this frantic scene. "To be honest, I thought it was Kira when I first collapsed, but I'll be alright. It seems that I've been pushing myself too hard lately."

"Kira wouldn't do this," I said, shifting myself in the seat. "In his eyes, you and him are on the same side. Both of you have a desire to stop criminals."

"Indeed, except Kira wants to kill them," murmured L, rubbing his thumb swiftly across his bottom lip. "Though, it must add to your stress knowing that Light is a suspect in this investigation."

"You actually told my father that?" Light turned to L in slight disbelief.

"Yes," he answered in a monotone voice. "In fact, I've told him everything. It's true he even knows that I am L." Light gaped and turned to his father, unsure if this information was true.

As Light turned his attention away from L, the detective took this as an opportunity to glance at me, making a small nod with his head. At first I was unsure of what to do, but then I realized the situation.

"Wait, you're L?!" I gaped in pretend confusion and incredulity. "What's going on?" I darted my head between the three men rapidly, searching for an explanation.

L must have explained to Mr. Yagami what my predicament was because he chuckled. "Ah, that's right. Sorry my dear, you must be very confused."

"Yuki Miyoshi," L began, turning to me and presenting his best performance yet. "As you may have figured out, I am L. I have been working with the Task Force in order to catch Kira. I have now made my identity known to you and Light Yagami. For help with the Kira case, I would like to have you and Light work alongside us."

I blinked, pausing and pretending to absorb this information for the first time. Turning to Light, I gave a half smile. "Hey, this might not be so bad."

"On the Task Force we refer to him as Ryuzaki," Mr. Yagami added, making sure we both knew. "Make no mistake," he said only to his son. "It's him."

My eyes went to Light, hoping to get a positive response, but he wasn't looking at me. He was staring at L. What thoughts were going through his mind? Did he plan to kill L?

"So, Ryuzaki, now that you've had the chance to talk to my son, is he cleared as a suspect?" Mr. Yagami had asked the question he wanted to know most of all. His own son was a suspect. All he wanted was for him to be cleared.

"When I say I suspect him, you should know it's very minor." L did a little review on the subject, but I couldn't pay attention. For some reason I just watched him, my eyes glistening.

Until now, it hasn't really sunk in that this was _the_ L. World's greatest detective. Solved over a thousand cases worldwide. Caught Beyond Birthday. Smartest man in the world.

And I was sitting right next to him.

He must have noticed me staring because when Light responded to the information, L looked at me and tilted his head. Blushing, I rolled my eyes and averted them away from him. _How awkward._

"Ryuga, I'd like to help with the investigation," Light concluded, arms crossed. "My father has erased any doubts I had about your true identity. Also, I'd like nothing more than to catch Kira so I can prove once and for all that I'm not him." _What, that's your only reason you wanna catch him?_

Mr. Yagami tried to talk his son out of it, but Light's mind was already set. L knew there was no getting out of it for me, but Light was naive so he raised his head and stared at me, awaiting my answer.

"Like I said, this may not be so bad after all." Light smiled proudly and nodded firmly, glad to have me on board. _Oh, what he doesn't know…_

We conversed a little longer until the nurse came in to inform us that visiting hours were over ten minutes ago. I shrugged and got up, L standing by my side. After a short goodbye, the three of us gathered outside the main doors.

Watari had a car already ready for L so I decided to walk. "Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?" Light asked for the third time.

I shook my head and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "I'll be fine." Thanking L for letting me onto the Task Force, I resisted the urge not to bow at my last performance. Waving, I sped down the sidewalk and let the darkness swallow me whole.

It was only about five minutes later when I heard a muffled rumble charge up the street. A sleek black car ceased to an abrupt stop on the curb. The back window slowly rolled down to reveal an adorably cute face.

No words were needed as I opened the door and climbed in the seat next to him. As quickly as it stopped, the car began moving down the street with Watari up front.

"You depicted a convincing performance tonight," L commented proudly. "I am surprised how efficiently you worked under the slight pressure."

Shrugged, I relaxed my weary body in the cool leather seat. "Thanks, you weren't too bad yourself. It seemed like we managed to convince him, huh?"

L nodded solemnly, but his observation lingered longly on me. "You seemed… distracted by something. Was it possibly the lack of sweets? I know I'm still craving them."

Laughing, I twisted my head over to the endearing detective. "I guess you could say I was distracted." _I was distracted by you._ Woah, hold up, back up, no. Don't you dare say that.

"By what?" he inquired. "Or whom?"

Blinking, I shrugged. "I don't know… I think it's just the curiosity of the future. What Light's gonna think when he finds out what I've actually been doing all this time..." I sighed. "It's gonna hurt him when I break up with him and tell him the truth."

"Why do you wish to break up with him?" questioned L, rubbing his feet together. "I assumed you enjoyed being with Light-kun." He actually sounded legit, which puzzled me.

"I thought you were great at observing people?" I asked lightheartedly, chuckling and shaking my head. "Honestly, Ryuzaki, I'm not very fond of dating Light. He's just… not my type."

L shifted in the moving car, his eyes locked with mine. "Oh? What is your 'type'?"

Watari parked in front of the hotel and got out to open my door. L still seemed absorbed in the conversation to notice we were here. Watari opened my door, but I didn't get out yet. "Well, I like a man who really _intrigues_ me." With that, I leaned forward and placed a tender kiss on his cheek.

Seeing the instant flash of blush across his cheek, I smirked and slid out backwards, landing on my feet. "He seems to have taken a liking to you," Watari murmured, impressed. "I think we all have, my dear."

"Thank you Watari," I said, grinning genuinely. "And," I added, "I promise I won't reveal your real name either." He smiled gratefully and nodded.

Inside the hotel, Akari and Beyond were seated on the couch watching a movie. Aizawa and Matsuda were at their homes for a bit since the Chief had a heart attack. I think they'll be back tomorrow.

Ten minutes after joining them on the couch, Beyond groaned. "That's it, I'm out. See you guys in the morning." Trudging down the hall, I heard the springs on his bed squeak as he dropped himself on it and fell asleep.

Akari wrapped herself up in the fuzzy blanket and sighed, smiling sweetly to herself. I raised an eyebrow even though I knew how she felt about him. "Please stop drooling," I muttered.

Shoving me, she rolled her eyes. "So, let's totally just skip my love life and move onto yours. How's your boyfriend?"

For a moment, I was hesitant. Should I tell her how I felt? Then I remembered that she was my best friend in the entire world. No matter what happened, we'd always keep each other's secrets.

Reluctantly, I explained to her how I felt. Akari wasn't surprised that I didn't like Light, but then I got to the part where I kissed L. "Woah, hold on, back up, no."

"That's what I thought!"

"You kissed _the_ L on the cheek? You have feelings for him? Like, _legit_ feelings? I knew you liked Ryuzaki, but in the long term-"

"Shh!" I snapped, waving my arms around. "Anyone could hear you!"

"Sorry," she giggled, crossing her legs and shifting to face me. "Spill more details, Yuki! SPILL THEM ALL!"

"That's pretty much it," I concluded, folding my arms casually. "Now you know." I sighed, shaking my head. "And so does Beyond."

The killer snickered as he pressed his body against the wall. "Caught me." Raising his hands, he backed away towards the bedroom. "I won't tell, I promise."

"I don't trust those red eyes of yours!" I called as he closed the bedroom door. "Keep your freaking mouth shut!" When his cackling faded away, I returned my attention to Akari. "Your crush is an idiot."

* * *

Everything was a blur. _Kira is coming close. You're so close to catching him. Right beneath your fingertips. He was there all along but you didn't notice. Now it might be too late._

 _He's getting closer. Run. You need to run away now. Don't look back. The world is your backyard; go explore it. Leave them behind. They'll make it out, somehow. Leave! Run!_

 _He's right behind you. So close he can whisper in your ear. "Help me make this world a better place." Say no. Leave. Don't let him entice you. Kira will kill you. He wants to so bad. You can be the only thing between him and total world domination._

 _Kira found you. He found you and is ready to kill you. You waited. You didn't run. You're too late. They're all gone. Now it's just you. You think that maybe, since he likes you, you won't die. But you're wrong. Your judgment is entirely wrong. You should've listened to your heart. Kira won't hesitate to kill you._

 _Kira means killer, and killer means_ _everybody_ _gets left behind… and forgotten._

I woke up abruptly, but I'm not in my bed. Instead, I found myself on the floor of the kitchen. Rubbing my sleepy orbs, I wiped off the crust out of the corner of my eyes and yawned.

The fridge was wide open, it's cool breeze floating out and chilling me like a popsicle. I was leaned against the bottom cabinets under the counter. Someone must've brought me out here from my bed.

A dark figure was hunched over, scouring the fridge for food. Squinting, I realized it was the sugar-addicted genius. "W-What time is it?" I talked through another yawn.

L twisted his head around to view me when he realized I was awake. "Oh, roughly 2 a.m." After answering, he turned back around to pick through the stuff in the fridge.

Patiently I waited with my legs crossed, my chin held in my hands which were leaned against my thighs. Whatever he was doing must be important or he wouldn't have brought me out here.

Inspecting myself, I was glad to know I was still in my white shirt and grey sweatpants that I wore to bed. My head, though, had remains of a cold sweat I broke out in during my sleep. From a drawer in the counter I pulled out a wash cloth and dried my face.

Discarding the sweaty cloth, I still waited to see what L was doing. Reaching into the far back of the bottom shelf of the fridge, he pulled out a single plate. On that plate was a piece of chocolate cake.

Setting it in between us, he took out two forks from the drawer and handed me one. Hesitantly I took it. Quickly he jabbed his into the edge of the dessert and cut off a small bit, happily eating it.

"Did you bring me out here?" I wondered, examining him.

"Why yes I did," he said through a mouthful of cake. "You were not sleeping pleasantly so I assumed that cake would fix it." Looking down at the cake and back at me he tilted his head. "Does it?"

Smiling gratefully, I took a bite of the sweet dessert. "Yes," I said wholeheartedly, causing him to hide a smile.

We continued eating the cake on the floor until it was all done. I stuck our forks and plate into the sink and sunk back down to the floor. L was still perched across from me.

"Tomorrow," he said, rubbing his bottom lip with his thumb, "we will resume our investigation, with or without Mr. Yagami. I assume you are willing to let me use your eyes if necessary?"

I nodded, hugging my knees to my chest. "Of course. L-er, Ryuzaki, even if… even if you weren't blackmailing me, I would be honored to use my eyes for your aid. If it helps to catch Kira, then I won't mind."

"Good," he answered in a satisfied, but monotone, voice. "I guess our deal is off then?"

I blinked. "Uh, really?"

"Yes. But, since you are willing to aid us in the investigation, I will still have your old house taken care of. In fact, Watari informed me that someone was looking to buy the home."

"Really?" I asked, my voice rising with excitement. _Maybe I could finally get rid of that thing!_ "Sell it, then! I don't care, as long as it's gone."

He nodded, then licked his lips, wiping away the stains of chocolate that coated them. "To be completely honest, I enjoy you and your friends' company. Humanity doesn't seem as lost with you three around."

His words caused my heart to flutter. _Were we really that influential? I didn't know people enjoyed being around insane teenagers._ "Thanks L. And as long as you keep Beyond around, Akari and I won't be going anywhere."

A genuine, but meek, smile formed on his lips. "So, you wouldn't mind if I make you my official investigation's assistant? Having you and Watari as my assistants will be more efficient."

Radiant, I grinned and scooted over to the detective. "I'd love to help, L," I told him, sitting next to him.

"Your deductive skills aren't too horrible, either," he added quietly. "Someday you will make a great detective." I would, and I knew it. Part of me always wanted to become a great detective like L. I knew the basics, and I was a pretty great actress under pressure, or so I've been told.

Wrapping my arms around him slender body, I squeezed slightly and rested my head on his shoulder. "Thanks L, you really are the greatest."

He shifted, a little uncomfortable with the new human interaction, but he finally relaxed in my arms. Either that or I suffocated him to death. Either way, I was content.

* * *

 **Next chapter preview (only because I'm bored and I wanna tease you all- probably won't happen again):**

 _I'm such an IDIOT! How could I not have seen it? Ugh, I can't believe this happened!_ Running my fingers through my hair, I furiously kicked the wall, smashing my toes against the hard surface. Pounding my clenched fists against the outside wall of the building, I screamed with absolute fury. "I hate myself!" I growled, fighting back tears. "He would be alive if it wasn't for me. I let the everyone down…" My raging voice faded away until not even a soft echo was heard. _I saw sign when it was too late… It's all my fault…._

 **Dun dun DUUUUUN….!**


	15. Tragedy Opens Her Eyes

_Hellooooo everyone! I'd just like to say, thank you peeps for the encouraging reviews! They really do brighten my day, so thank you. Now, I'd just like to say that I want to follow the original anime somewhat, but I also wanna add in more stuff involving my OCs, if that's okay. I just think it'd change up the story a bit to make it more interesting._

 _(Did I mention that I don't own Death Note or any of its characters? Well I did now.)_

 _I wrote this chapter a while back ago, but decided to post it today. Not gonna lie, this one is sad. Yeah, you pretty much guessed someone died… Lots of tears by the characters (mostly Yuki)... Ugh. Have fun._

* * *

It seemed like just another normal day. Akari and I returned to a usual day at college, smoothly running through each class without problems and ending up with no homework. Beyond was always nearby, scoping out the perimeter in his custodian uniform. Surprisingly, no one bothered to ask him if he was legit.

At the end of the classes, I ended up with Light while Akari and Beyond took off back to the hotel for entertainment. "So," Light began casually, "any plans for today? I could really go for a coffee right now."

Sighing, I leaned against his left arm for support. "I'd love to, but I've scheduled a visit with Dad today at the clinic. I wanted to check on him and make sure he was okay because a couple days ago he had another panic attack."

The brunette's bewitching eyes widened and he squeezed my hand comfortingly. "Really? Is everyone alright?"

I nodded nonchalantly and lowered my gaze. "They said he attacked a doctor who was doing a checkup. The doctor's okay, but he almost got choked with a stethoscope." I sighed sadly. "His paranoia persona is getting the best of him."

 _It seems that every day, Dad is drawing further and further away from reality. His health is getting worse so I'm assuming being locked up in a building 24/7 doesn't do him any good. One day I'm afraid he'll be too far gone for me to save…_

Sensing my rising depression, Light stopped and made me face him. Gently he cupped my face and placed a warm, affectionate kiss on my lips. Pulling away, he wrapped an arm around me and we continued walking.

"Are you sure it's safe for you to see him?" he asked hesitantly, voice brimming with genuine concern. Gazing into Raito's eyes, I knew that, even if he was Kira, he still cared deeply for me. " I don't want him to hurt you Yuki."

"Yeah," I said very unconvincingly. "I'm sure I'll be fine. He's my dad. He loves me, and he could never hurt me."

Light averted his gaze. His tone grew bitter as he mumbled, "I bet that's what your mom thought, too." In his hold, I suddenly felt a sharp pain pierce through my heart, as if I'd just been stabbed. Instantly he took it back. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No, you're right," I cut him off. I had told Light what happened to my mother a couple weeks ago and he swore never to tell another soul. Slipping out of his grasp, I laid a meek kiss on his cheek and brushed my fingers through his soft, ruffly hair. "Hey, I'll see you later, okay?"

"Alright," he said reluctantly, gazing at me as I drifted away. I could feel his desire to pull me back into his arms and keep me from going, but I knew I had to see Dad, at least one last time.

My silver hair bobbed, being held up in a ponytail, as I jogged to my car on the other side of the parking lot. Unlocking the doors, I hopped in and drove towards the center of the city.

Three minutes later I reached the clinic. Getting out, I smoothed down my light pink shirt and took a deep breath. _Say how you feel, that you love him and always will, then leave. In and out._ I hesitantly walked inside.

Up at the front desk, I signed in and sat patiently in the waiting room. Today I didn't feel like observing the cluster of unusual patients waiting for their turn, so I took out my iPhone and stuck in my earbuds. A couple of MCR songs later, the Doctor came out _(Dr. Kitamura)_ accompanied by another nurse who I recognized _(Amelia Chang)_. Neither of them looked pleased to see me.

"Ms. Miyoshi," Dr. Kitamura greeted as I approached. "I'm sure you're aware of previous events concerning your father?" I nodded solemnly. "Good. He is in the back room, but, for precautions, he is being restrained."

Following the stately two, I hurried down the hall. When we reached the room at the end of the corridor, I froze. _Just breathe…_ Gripping the handle, I opened the door and walked in.

It was a fairly large room, with enough space to fit a bed, a desk, a narrow counter, and a bathroom. Dad was rested on the side of the bed, his legs stretched out on the cold tile floor. One handcuff was locked to the bed stand; the other was around Dad's right wrist.

His somber face instantly lit up as I ambled in. "Yuki! My little girl, how are you doing? It seems like you've grown up so much in only a short time." Giving a kind laugh, I moved to join him on the bed, but the nurse held my shoulder.

"It's best you keep your distance," she whispered pensively in my ear. I gave a slight nod and remained standing.

"How are you Dad?" I tried to keep my voice calm and kind, hoping not to stir up any dark emotions or personalities. "Do you like it here?"

He shrugged, his eyes sweeping around the plain room. "It's okay. But I'd much rather be home. I keep asking them how long I have to stay here, but they won't tell me. Strange, right?"

I laughed it off, shifting my weight to the other leg and holding my arms behind my back. "Yeah, strange… So, how have you been?"

"Yuki, you're the one with the social life," he replied, brushing off my question. "I wanna know how _you've_ been. Still got a boyfriend?" He really knew how to make this awkward, huh?

"Uh, yeah," I answered sheepishly, rubbing the back of my neck. "Light Yagami, remember?"

Dad's eyes sparkled with pride. "The Chief of the NPA's son, right? Ah, I've always liked that boy. Fighting for justice. Those are the kind of men you want in your life sweetie. The ones who are willing to stand up for the right thing, for what they believe in. Someone who will love you to the very end, too." _Just like L._

I smiled, genuinely this time. "Thanks for the advice Dad."

Smiling from ear to ear, he laughed and patted the spot next to him. "Come sit. I've missed you."

"I've missed you too," I replied with relief, taking a step forward. But I forgot about my caution so Dr. Kitamura had to come forward and grab my shoulder in fear that I'd get harmed.

Instantly Dad's orbs flashed with pure rage, his hands clenching with defensiveness. "Hey, keep your dirty hands off her you filthy creep!" His entire change in persona frightened the doctor and nurse, but not me. I completely expected this.

"Calm down Dad," I said, unruffled, as the other two stepped back. My father's cuffs were reaching his full limits as he stretched as far as he could, eyes full of anger. "This is just a misunderstanding, okay? Calm down."

"Shut up," he spat unforgivingly. "You don't tell me what to do you little brat."

Somewhat hurt, I frowned. "I do if it's for your best interest. You aren't like this; you're just acting up. Calm. Down."

Of course, my rational pleas didn't cease his fury. Pulling with his strength, he kept reaching forward off his bed. "No, I won't listen to you, brat! You're just like your conceited mother! Too arrogant to keep her stupid mouth shut!"

His words hit too close to my heart. Vexation built up inside me when he spoke about Mom like that. "Shut up!" I yelled, hot tears beginning to form. "Don't talk about Mom like that! She was better than that! Better than you!"

My apoplectic words sent him over with edge. Overwhelmed with this sudden, uncontrollable wrath, his dissociative personality disorder broke through his power over himself and took all control. In other words, he was the Hulk. And now the green guy appeared to take out his anger.

With a tremendous amount of strength, Dad broke the handcuff from the bed stand and came flying at me at full force. Unable to quickly react, I was tackled by his body and crashed to the ground. The doctor and nurse tried to get near him, but he grabbed (guess what) a needle from the counter and held it up to them. Their next safest option was to run and get help because Dad would've hurt them in a heartbeat.

Whimpering, I stared up at my father in shock as he pinned me to the tile floor. His once expression of tenderness and love had transformed into one of bloodthirsty, heated fury. "D-Dad," I murmured, struggling slightly. "P-Please don't hurt me. I-I love you!"

Not bothering to listen, he gritted his teeth and pulled back the needle, aiming at the middle of my neck. "Say hi to your mother for me," he whispered bitterly. I closed my eyes and waited for Death to take me away.

Suddenly, the needle dropped to the ground. Voices were heard in the hallway, racing to help me. But, right then and there, I knew I needed no help. Blinking my eyes open, I stared with a horrified gaze as my father clutched his chest and fell over to the ground.

He was having a heart attack.

"DAD!" Rolling off my back, I crawled to him and held up his head. His face was contorted with a reaping pain. "Dad, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say those horrible things! I love you so much and I'll never forgive myself! Please don't go!"

Instantly, my eyes clicked. Something occurred to me that I hadn't noticed before. Idiot… I was so use to not looking at it, I just didn't bother… Above his head, I looked at Dad's numbers… _00000001_. They were dropping like flies! He only had one number left, and I-

Dad struggled for his last words as I gripped the back of his neck, holding onto my parent, knowing that I would soon lose him. "T-Tell him that I'm glad I got to know him…" _W-Who's "him?"_ "I-I love you, too, Yuki. I'm sorry for-" Before he could finish his last sentence, the light in his eyes grew dim. _0000000_ _ **0**_.

In my arms, on the floor of the clinic, my father died in my arms. And it was all my fault…

* * *

The nurses and doctors rushed in to find me bawling over my deceased father. I was an orphan now. They helped me up and slowly supported me as I stumbled into the vacant waiting room.

Alone, crouching in a chair in the corner of the room, I cried out all my tears. I cried for my father whom I saw die in my arms. I cried for the loneliness I felt deep inside. I cried for the longing of my mother who was silently watching over me. I cried because I couldn't stop crying.

The front door automatically opened and in came two worried teens. When they spotted me in the corner, they came running over as fast as they could and wrapped me in their arms.

"Yuki…" began Akari, catching her breath from running all the way here. "The nurse called me and told me what happened. We hurried down here as fast as possible." Akari had given the clinic her number in case anything bad happened that she needed to know about. "I'm so sorry Yuki."

Sliding off the seat, we joined together on the floor, both of them on each side of me. Beyond sniffled, tears beginning to come to his red eyes. "I didn't know him for that long, but he seemed like an awesome dude."

I laughed bitterly through my tears and huddled into a ball. "I-I watched him die. I held him in my arms. His numbers were dropping right above his head but I didn't notice until…" Closing my eyes, I shook my head. "I was too late."

"It's not your fault," Akari whispered, leaning against my shoulder. "Every person has to die at some point. You can't save everyone." I knew her words were true, but I didn't wanna believe it.

After about another hour of mourning, I believe I came to what was Stage 2 in the 5 Stages of Grieving: anger. Storming outside, I growled.

 _I'm such an IDIOT! How could I not have seen it? Ugh, I can't believe this happened!_ Running my fingers through my hair, I furiously kicked the wall, smashing my toes against the hard surface. Pounding my clenched fists against the outside wall of the building, I screamed with absolute fury. "I hate myself!" I growled, fighting back tears. "He would be alive if it wasn't for me. I let the everyone down…" My raging voice faded away until not even a soft echo was heard. _I saw sign when it was too late… It's all my fault…._

Shaking my head, I sighed. For the first time today, I actually attempted to tell myself that it _wasn't_ my fault. He suffered a heart attack. Part of me wanted to think it was Kira, but I knew he'd been battling a lot of stress lately. That had to be it…

Back inside, I huddled against the wall with Beyond and Akari, old tears stained my face, but no new ones fell. Beyond was still sniffling, and Akari's eyes were almost as red as mine.

We were currently watching the tv that was positioned above the room for waiting people to watch. Suddenly an alert popped onto the screen with Breaking News. We immediately turned it to the closest new channel.

On Sakura TV, three newscasters were sitting at a news desk. The one in the middle was speaking. "...all of the reporters and staff here at Sakura TV are Kira's hostages. Aside from that, we have a professional obligation to share this message with you."

The three of us shared alarmed glances as the news anchor continued. "I assure you that this is not a hoax and that Sakura TV is not airing this tape for purposes of sensationalism." _Kira's… hostages? No, that doesn't make sense. The Kira I know (or have been observing) wouldn't intend to harm innocent people._

"Four days ago," he went on, "our program director here at Sakura TV received four tapes. After a thorough examination, there could be no doubt that they are from Kira himself."

"Why would Kira do something like this?" Akari wondered, biting her lip in thought.

"He wouldn't," answered Beyond, staring intensely at the screen. We both knew that the real Kira was too good for this. He would never threaten the lives of innocent people, especially not publicly. It goes against everything he stands for.

"The first tape we received contained a prediction regarding the time of death of two suspected criminals who'd recently been arrested. " _Okay, criminals. This sounds more like Kira._ "And as predicted, at the exact time that Kira had specified, both men died suddenly of heart attacks yesterday."

If it's true, then it has to be Kira. Or at least something Kira could do.

"Kira has instructed us to air the second tape today at exactly 5:59 p.m. And we do intend to comply with his demands. This tape should offer proof of his powers by predicting yet another death. Beyond that, we understand that it contains a message to all the people of the world from Kira. And now, the video."

As we watched and listened to the videos, witnessed the deaths of innocent people on tv, the more I realized that this couldn't be the same Kira. _This Kira seems like a fan of the original, or at least a jealous copycat. Whoever it is has the same powers, except theirs seem to be a bit more advanced._ My thoughts were confirmed when innocent people trying to get into the station died suddenly outside.

"Yuki, look!" Beyond exclaimed, pointing at the screen. His eyes flashed with recognition.

I gasped as a cop car slammed on its brakes and out came a man. He ran towards the doors, intending to get in. His face briefly flashed across the screen's view, but it was good enough for me to get a name. _Hirokazu Ukita._ "Ukita!"

As he fell to the ground from a sudden heart attack, Akari grabbed the remote and switched off the tv. "Hey!" Beyond and I shouted fiercely in unison.

"No more," she growled ferociously. With her hard stare and death look, we didn't bother fighting. "Ryuzaki can fill us in later. We, especially Yuki, don't need to hear this right now."

Beyond sighed in frustration and I sighed. Gazing out the window into the dark sky, I remembered something. In all the commotion, I forgot to tell the others. "Before my dad died, he told me something…"

They shared curious glances and scooted closer. "Go on, if you want," Akari urged kindly, trying to be polite.

I bit my lip, looking back. "He said 'Tell him I'm glad I got to know him…' I don't know who 'him' is though."

Akari hummed. "Maybe Light? You are dating him."

"No," Beyond interrupted with a solemn face. "He meant me."

I frowned in confusion. "You think so? But why? No offense but… he's known Akari longer than you, but he decides to mention you right before he dies?" _That doesn't make sense… unless he really really liked the killer._

A flash of regret filled Beyond's face and he sighed. "I'd better tell you now because you'll find out sooner or later…" he mumbled, hugging his legs.

Akari furrowed her brows. "Tell her what? What's this little secret?" He scanned Akari with his mysterious red eyes, somewhat admiring her bluntness but was annoyed at the same time.

Cranking his head to stare sympathetically at me, he scratched his wild black hair and rested it against the edge of one of the waiting chairs. "When I was born, my mother was young. She didn't think she could handle me so she put me in an orphanage, but she did have the dream to find me one day. When she died, her husband took on her wish."

I tilted my head, extremely confused. "Okay… but how is that connected to my dad?"

He grunted, slightly irritated. "Did you really think it was a coincidence that I met you and Akari that day in California? Just by chance we had the same red eyes?" I frowned, still not totally understanding. "And how do you think I knew where you lived on that night I came to your house?"

"We just assumed you tracked us from Yuki's phone," Akari answered for me when I couldn't put it into words. He rolled his downcast eyes and narrowed them at my best friend and me, inspecting our reactions.

"You two still don't get it, do you?" We slightly shook our heads and waited for him to continue. This time, he looked directly at me. Suddenly, a flash of recognition that I hadn't seen before crossed the killer's eyes and I gasped. _So that's why he reminded me so much of Dad… He-_ "Yuki, I'm your brother."

* * *

 **3rd POV**

With a ponderous heart, Light closed his black notebook and sighed. He wondered if he'd made the right decision. _Of course I did_ he quickly assured himself as he leaned back in his chair. _She wasn't safe with him alive. Now that he's gone, she's completely protected._

From the bed came a chorus of chuckling. "Hehe, I'm kinda surprised you killed him. Wasn't he your girlfriend's dad or something?" The Shinigami munched loudly on a fresh crimson apple.

Light stretched his tan arms out in front of him and popped his knuckles. "Well, he could've hurt her. He has in the past. Besides, he was a criminal." Light remembered when Yuki confided in him about how her mother truly died. He was disgusted and immediately decided Makai was a threat to his girlfriend's safety.

"You've got guts kid," Ryuk commented, chewing on his beloved fruit. "I'll give you that."

The honor student chuckled with satisfaction. _As long as Akari and Beyond don't do anything too stupid, I'll spare their lives._ He knew that losing her best friend that had gotten her through life would be completely devastating to Yuki so Akari was vital to keep around. He wasn't too sure about the raven haired killer yet, but he'd remain alive for now.

A dark aura surrounded Light as he smirked sinisterly to himself. Ryuk noticed and ceased his obnoxious chewing to ask, "Hey, Light, what are you thinking?" The Shinigami was always curious as to what was on the human's mind.

"I think I'm in love Ryuk," Light confided, pushing himself up from his chair. "Though, you probably don't know what that feels like." Strutting over to the window, he sensed the Shinigami's presence beside him as he gazed at the sunset befalling the city.

"You mean with that girl?" wondered Ryuk with confusion. Light was correct; the poor Shinigami had no vision of romance.

"One day," Light began, eyes full of determination and voice firm with a scary perseverance, "I plan on becoming the god of the new world I will create. And I plan on making Yuki my goddess."

The Shinigami chuckled as he moved on to the core of the fruit. "Good luck with that. I think she's on L's side this time." He dropped the last of the juicy snack into his mouth, but still desired more.

"You should know me better by now," Light replied, leaning against his balcony doorway. "That won't stop me. She _will_ help me in ruling my new world. We will be the new justice."

As the icy words left his breath and evaporated into the air, the sun completely hid behind the horizon and a fearful darkness engulfed the city. With one last smirk, Light shut his balcony door and returned inside, back to his family, with a whole new facade.

Ryuk followed him, hoping for more apples. "Hehehe, humans are so… interesting."

* * *

 _DUN DUN DUUUN. Well guys that was a big chapter! So, Beyond is Yuki's brother?! What!? RIP Makai Miyoshi. Oh, and Light's definitely going Kira crazy._

 _*It will be awhile before I update another chapter because I'm going to be really busy with camp and other things, so expect a new chapter around June 13th. Good luck with summer!*_

 _So, what's Beyond's story of being a Miyoshi? Will he and Akari ever get together? What happens when L and Yuki get closer in their "friendship?" Will Misa's arrival change Light's decision about having Yuki as his goddess? How will Light react when Yuki breaks up with him? And why is Beyond taking a jam bath? Find out in the upcoming chapters of She Sees Everything! *hands out cookies to all of the followers*_


	16. Trouble Arises

_Ah, feels good to be back! Well, please enjoy this chapter and keep leaving those positive reviews! :D_

* * *

It's May and the trees are in full bloom. The atmosphere is unusually clean and fresh and, for once, I'm not worrying over anything. My dad is gone, the last parent I had, but I don't feel weighted anymore. At least I had Beyond.

After it became obvious about who he really was, everything else started falling into place, too. Our house was sold, along with everything non-personal in it. The only thing I had to retrieve was my old family photos.

That's where I was when Beyond finally became open about his past. The two of us were sitting on the floor of my old living room, scouring through the totes from downstairs. Akari was upstairs, doing her duty of cleaning out all personal belongings from there.

I sighed nostalgically, rubbing away the dust from a picture frame. Inside it held Dad, Mom, and I for my eighth birthday. I was adorable with pigtails, by the way. "I can't believe you missed out on all of this," I said, gesturing towards the memories held inside each picture, "just because Mom was too young when she had you."

Beyond gave a half smile and shifted while laying down on the floor. "Not gonna lie; it sucked not being apart of the family. I didn't even know what Mom looked like until looking at these pictures." Ever since he revealed the identity he'd been holding, he's been more relaxed now.

"So…" I said, trailing off eagerly. "What's your story of being a Miyoshi?"

He rolled his eyes. "Do I have to? It's so boring anyways." Furrowing my brows, I pouted with crossed arms. "Fine, whatever," he grumbled, giving in.

"Start from when you were young," I added, laying on the ground with my chin rested on my hands like a child, gazing up at him with wonder and curiosity.

"I grew up in an orphanage," he began, trailing through the memories in his head one by one. "In England. That's pretty much where I grew up all my life. Then one day I got bored and ditched." The mysterious spark in his eyes led me to believe that that wasn't the entire story, but I didn't push.

I snorted. "So that's when you decided to become a full-time murderer."

He narrowed his eyes. "Yes it was. Thanks for pointing out the obvious."

"Why?" I let the question that lingered in my mind slip out slowly. It always tugged at me deep down, not knowing why he had the urge to kill. "Do you… enjoy it?" _Ugh, not the conversation I thought I'd ever be having._

He chuckled, hugging his legs and resting his head in between his knees. "It's not really something I would've seen myself doing; killing people. But I just couldn't stop after the first one. The rush of adrenaline, the wrath I let out on people. And the blood; it was kinda like strawberry jam, but just not as sweet."

I grimaced, trying to picture it longingly from his perspective, but failing. The flashing look in Beyond's red orbs made me shiver, so I brushed off that subject. "How did you find us in LA?"

"Dad," he answered simply, blowing away a blanket of dust from a photo. "That's when all his searching paid off. He'd finally found me, and so he called me from my apartment, which I may or may not have killed to get." I narrowed my eyes at the last part, but my brother just flashed a cheeky grin. "He said you two were visiting, gave me a description, and told me everything I needed to know."

"And that's how you found us," Akari stepped in, hopping down from the last step. Her hair had just been cut to her shoulder, and today she pulled it back in the smallest ponytail ever.

Beyond's eyes twinkled as she sat against the couch, on his left and my right. I gave an inward sigh as they ogled each other. _Pathetic…_ Tugging at my silver braid with impatience, I spoke up. "So…" They instantly snapped out of their gaze with a blush. "Then you got caught, went to prison, escaped, and came back to meet us. I'm guessing he gave you our address." _That's probably why he freely let Beyond come in that one night._

The raven nodded. "Yep. And now we're here."

My eye twitched as I blurted out a question that had peaked my absorption. "Beyond, why are you so interested in L?"

Surprised by my question, he was a little taken back. "Uh, what do you mean?" he responded, scratching aimlessly at his messy hair.

"You went to the trouble to find his name, and you got close to him with the LABB Murder Case… but why? Do you have some grudge or vendetta with him?" Even Akari seemed interested to hear that answer.

We stared at the motionless raven until he finally looked away. "Well, I-"

Before he could even answer, the doorbell rang. Tearing my stare away from Beyond, I sighed and pushed up from the floor. "It must be the realtors. Get everything personal into my car, okay?" They nodded and started to pack up while I made my way to the door. Smoothing my light pink shirt formally, I turned the doorknob and welcomed the guests. _I guess some answers will have to wait…_

* * *

After going over the letter the second Kira sent, I handed it back to Light for him to scan it thoroughly. _Light._ I was still going along with the fake girlfriend bit so L explained to Light that he also wanted me on the Task Force. That's why I'm here. So far he's not suspicious, but the time will come when I have to tell him.

We were all in L's new hotel room. Mr. Yagami, Aizawa, Matsuda, L, and Light. Beyond and Akari were at my old house helping the new family move into it.

The letter was directed for the real Kira, which we haven't heard much of lately. He's still killing criminals, but it's not as public. As for the second Kira, I knew he was obviously relating things to the real Kira. I don't know what he means by "notebooks" but I'm assuming it's something involved with his way of killing, along with Shinigami.

Apparently he wants the real Kira to go to Aoyama so they meet. Of course we couldn't let that happen. "What do you think?" L asked Light expectantly. "Is it real?"

"Pff, of course it is," I mumbled, catching Light and L's attention. The rest of the Task Force furrowed their brows in thought.

"How can you say that with confidence?" wondered Light, folding his arms and looking at me questioningly. "All we can really tell is that he must be an idiot."

"But he's throwing out presumptions," I contradicted, sitting up in the chair. Crossing my legs in the seat, I laid my arms on the armrests sophisticatedly. "Aoyama, notebooks, Shinigami… all this stuff can't be made up. If he's confident enough to make public the connection between them, then he must be true."

Light gave a laugh, almost mocking me. "Oh really? What if he _is_ making it up? We can't be 100% sure, at least not right now, or we'll be going on your false leads."

I let a small glare slip as I stared at Light. He seemed to be changing, but ever so slowly, like he was almost becoming a more arrogant person. Now he was growing confidence himself, challenging me to see if I could handle it. That, or he really was annoyed with me (though I couldn't possibly know why because who _doesn't_ get along with me, right?).

Matsuda laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck and stepping in between us. "Hey guys, don't fight right now. Yuki, I-I think Light may be right." He winced like I was gonna explode and/or massacre him.

But I didn't. "Fine. I guess he is more experienced than me." Giggling with amusement, I hopped up from the chair and pecked my boyfriend on the cheek, causing him to blush. "Don't go growing a big ego, though," I added playfully.

"To be honest," L said, guiding everyone back to the matter at hand while simultaneously eating a piece of chocolate, "it's so stupid, I'm not even sure how to deal with this whole situation anymore." Still chewing, he moved to a different chair and continued on with this reasoning. "If we make the diary public, then we'll be forced to make some televised announcement canceling the game on the 30th."

"Would the second Kira even show up to any of the places in the diary if we canceled the game?" I wondered, plopping down at the end of the couch and crossing my legs.

L thought for a moment, peeling off another candy wrapper. "Chances are he wouldn't. But if we don't we can be sure the second Kira won't do anything."

Matsuda and Aizawa shifted over to the couch to join me, and Mr. Yagami took the other empty chair. "Won't canceling the game make him angry?" Matsuda asked, sitting next to me in the middle of the white furniture. "There's no telling what he'll do."

"Frankly that's not a big concern," the detective replied with his monotone voice. "From what we've witnessed, it's safe to say the second Kira admires the real one and he gave his word to the Kira we invented that he'd refrain from killing aimlessly. I'm inclined to believe that."

 _Apparently he's not the only one who believes that the second Kira tells the truth_ I thought bitterly, stealing a glare at Light, who was standing next to his father, when he wasn't looking. When I realized the disdainful feeling in my stomach toward the brunette, I knew I couldn't be pulling off this act for much longer. _I'll conference with L sometime tonight and see when he thinks I should break up with that egotistical charmer._

"I say we make it public," L voiced, glancing to everyone around to room for their attention, "and we air an announcement canceling the game. At the same time, we'll announce that on May 30th we're gonna set up checkpoints on all roads leading to the Tokyo Dome."

I opened my mouth to interrupt, but quickly shut it, reminded of the last time I expressed my opinion and received a negative view. Again, I shot an unnoticeable glare at Light.

"And finally…" L concluded, rubbing his lip in thought. "We'll send a response from our invented Kira. Something like 'I understand and I agree to meet you there.'"

"We can't lie to him" I said, the same time as Mr. Yagami blurted out "Ryuzaki!" We exchanged a glance before I let him go on. "You don't honestly expect him to go there if we set up checkpoints around the Dome, do you?"

"And Yuki's right," Matsuda spoke up meekly, glancing at me. "If he does go there and finds out that Kira didn't actually show up, he'll be angry! Who knows what he'll do!" Inside I wanted to hug Matsuda for agreeing with me because usually it seems like I'm the only one with a different opinion.

"I don't think that Kira would even consider going," L finally replied after the demanding statements. "But it's possibly the other one might. It all depends on how stupid he really is. Besides," he looked between Matsuda and I, "we really don't have another choice, now do we? The only way to catch this impostor is to lead him directly into our hands."

Our eyes met and locked for about two seconds before he teared his attention away from me and back to the others. I frowned, wanting his lovely dark eyes to gaze back at me longingly. _Yuki, you are truly crazy if you expect him to ever do that._

Picking up the page from the diary between his thumbs, he carefully held it level to his face and stared it down. "However, assuming he's not actually the idiot we think he is, there could be another message hidden in this diary. One that's not so obvious."

 _Maybe the notebooks, because why would a killer have a notebook? Unless it's related to his killings, I'd have to assume it's a code._

"If there's a message written here in only some code that people who have this Shinigami power can understand, there'd be no way for me to decipher it. Still, it would only make sense for us to look into all the places that were mentioned in the journal."

Aoyama on the 22nd. Shibuya on the 24th.

L continued in a serious aura. "We have to be prepared for the possibility that all of our efforts will be fruitless so let's keep an eye out for people with notebooks in Aoyama and people in clothing stores in Shibuya."

"We should place surveillance cameras in both places," I suggested diffidently, unsure of how my proposal would be taken.

L's inexpressive face softened slightly as he noticed my meek manner. "I think that is an ideal motion. We should set up cameras in Aoyama and Shibuya in hopes that we might catch something. We should also arrange to have undercover officers in both locations on these dates."

Matsuda and Light volunteered to go undercover. Seeing as how they were young enough to fit into the crowd, they were the perfect people to search for the second Kira. _I wish I could go…_

Instantly I jumped up from my seat and stood on top of the couch cushion. "Ryuzaki! Can I go?!"

Before L could respond, Light intervened. "No way Yuki. It's too dangerous."

I frowned with dissatisfaction, stepping off the couch and onto the hard floor. "How is it dangerous?" I questioned. "Besides, I'll have an actual officer with me so-"

"He's right," L cut in, setting down his teacup carefully. "I think it's best that you stay here with me." For a moment my hands clenched, the feeling of being treated as some sort of fragile doll, but then I realized I'd be staying here with _L_. A smile of pleasure almost flashed across my face, but I remembered Light was with us.

"Actually," Mr. Yagami chimed in, clearing his throat, "would you mind watching Sayu?" Immediately my heart dropped with sadness. "My wife is working late tonight so no one will be home when Sayu gets there, seeing as how the rest of us will be staying late as well. We would like someone to be there with her just in case."

A kind, but forced, smile fluttered onto my face. "Yeah, I guess." I glanced at the clock on the wall. "I'd better get going then. She should be home anytime." Saying goodbye to everyone briskly, I stole a longing glance at L before slipping out of the room.

* * *

Sayu and I were in the middle of binge watching the first season of Black Butler when the door opened and her mom shuffled in. "I'm home girls!" I paused on episode 9 where Mey-Rin, Bardroy, and Finnian were trying to take of picture of Sebastian under Ciel's orders.

Mrs. Yagami popped her head into the doorway and smiled at the two of us curled under the fuzzy blankets on the couch. "Hey Mom!" called Sayu in her usual peppy voice.

"Seems like you two are having fun," her mom noted, eyeing us with a sparkle of amusement in her eyes. Setting her purse on the counter, she slipped off her coat.

"Hey Mrs. Yagami!" I called back happily, trying to imitate Sayu. "Have a good day at work?"

"Yes I did," she laughed before sinking into the chair next to us. "To be honest, I'm ready to relax."

"Then I'd better go," I replied casually, reluctantly pulling the warm blankets off of me and pushing up from the couch. "But do you mind if I use the bathroom first?"

"Go ahead," her mom responded kindly. I nodded and headed upstairs.

Turning down the hallway, I made my way to the bathroom door, but quickly halted. My eyes snuck a glance at Light's bedroom door. Slowly, I tiptoed over to it and made sure to look for anything out of place; like a slip of paper in the door or the knob being adjusted. I remembered what L had told me he'd observed from the security cameras he'd placed in the house previously.

When I found nothing, I silently opened the door and slipped stealthily inside. Shutting it just as quietly, I made sure I was alone before tiptoeing over to Light's computer and sitting in the rolling chair.

Pressing the power button, I waited patiently for the machine to start up. When it did, that one dreaded word that blocked me from revealing Light's most darkest searches popped up. _Password:_

Like the first time I attempted to get into Light's computer, I tried all the basic things; birthdays, family names, previous pet names, and favorites of his. Heh, you know a lot about a guy when you're forced to be his girlfriend.

Leaning back in the chair, I sighed. Squeezing my eyes shut, I tilted my head back to face the ceiling and thought harder. _What's one thing that's important to Light? Important enough to keep all his secrets locked away?_ I shifted through the memories of all my encounters with the brunette, thinking back to _anything_ that seemed unique or important to him.

Then, it hit me. Like lightning hits a tree. Like a bowling ball hits a pin. Like a car hits a deer. Like a wrecking ball hit a hobo. Well, maybe not the last one, but you get my point.

Shooting forward to face the screen, my shaky hands typed the seven letter word in all caps. _JUSTICE_ Instantly, I was logged in.

With a squeal of excitement, I hurried myself to open a new tab and check his browsing history. Finally, the moment I'd been waiting for. I could catch this schmoozer. He _has_ to be Kira. I was so desperate for him to be the psycho killer that I didn't care about anything else.

Clicking on his history, I waited until it popped up… and I gaped. Literally, my mouth dropped all the way to Hell. My hands went from shaking with adrenaline to a mix of anger and disappointment.

He had deleted ALL of his browsing history. That son of a biscuit deleted everything he ever searched. And there was no way I could see it.

If things couldn't get ANY WORSE, the door opened and Light stepped in, only to stop in his tracks and stare at me. His darkened eyes skimmed over my figure leaning in front of his computer. "Yuki? What are you doing in my room?"

* * *

… _Busted. Aw poor Yuki. Now she'll have to do an excruciatingly awkward walk of shame out the door with her head down. Just kidding, I don't really know yet. But it will be interesting to see what happens next… hehehe ;)_


	17. Single and Depressed

_Well hellooo everyone! How has your day been? Sad? Exciting? Weird? Boring? Whatever the weather, I hope you enjoy this chapter! (and read the post chapter thoughts because it's really important!) ~_

* * *

 **Previously…**

Then, it hit me. Like lightning hits a tree. Like a bowling ball hits a pin. Like a car hits a deer. Like a wrecking ball hits a hobo. Well, maybe not the last one, but you get my point.

Shooting forward to face the screen, my shaky hands typed the seven letter word in all caps. _JUSTICE_ Instantly, I was logged in.

With a squeal of excitement, I hurried myself to open a new tab and check his browsing history. Finally, the moment I'd been waiting for. I could catch this schmoozer. He _has_ to be Kira. I was so desperate for him to be the psycho killer that I didn't care about anything else.

Clicking on his history, I waited until it popped up… and I gaped. Literally, my mouth dropped all the way to Hell. My hands went from shaking with adrenaline to a mix of anger and disappointment.

He had deleted ALL of his browsing history. That son of a biscuit deleted everything he ever searched. And there was no way I could see it.

If things couldn't get ANY WORSE, the door opened and Light stepped in, only to stop in his tracks and stare at me. His darkened eyes skimmed over my figure leaning in front of his computer. "Yuki? What are you doing in my room?"

 **Back to the story…**

"L-Light!" All I could do was utter his name in pure surprise. _Crap._ Although I felt like diving out his two story window, I remained frozen in my place. _I can't just stand here like an idiot! What do I say?_

"What are you doing in my room?" the brunette repeated slowly, but with more irritation. I could tell that he didn't take kindly to people sneaking through his private things.

Snapping out of my I-don't-know-what-to-do daze, I casually leaned against his desk with one hand and pressed the power button on his computer with the other. "Oi Light! How's your… face… been?"

I attempted to act smooth, but the intensity of his stare was enough to burn a hole in Iron Man's armor. "Were you searching through my computer?" he asked, though I don't know why he did. If it wasn't already completely obvious.

"Maybe," I squeaked, shrinking with embarrassment.

"Why?" he questioned through gritted teeth. Which I could understand he was mad. I mean, with a 3% chance of being Kira and all, if he _hadn't_ deleted all his history then I totally would've caught him.

Letting out a defeated sigh, I pursed my lips and lowered my head. Why was I still acting innocent? Clearly I couldn't hold up my act any longer. The desire of catching Kira has been overwhelming in the past few days.

Returning my eyes back to my (now most likely _ex_ ) boyfriend, I smirked. In that moment I felt like Madame Red from Black Butler (kudos if you know why). I wasn't gonna pretend to be the loving girlfriend anymore. To someone like Light, it just wasn't me.

"Light, it's pretty obvious why." He kept a hard stare. "I know you're hiding something."

My words didn't falter him. "So you decide to search my private computer?" Clenching his fist against his side, he stared me down. "Look, I know you want to find Kira just as much as Ryuzaki, but that doesn't give you the right to do this!"

"What gives _you_ the right to kill people?" I shot back, my inward desire blasting out from my soul as I stormed over to face him. "You're no god, and you're especially no hero."

Leaning in further, his voice was calm and jagged as he denied it all, whispering firmly in my ear, "I'm. Not. Kira."

Pushing him away from me, I fumed. "Light, the facts are everywhere! Your father is the police chief so you had access to secret police information, you have the perfect alibi, and the motive." _Justice…_

"You're just like Ryuzaki," he muttered like it was a bad thing. Backing up slowly to allow me more tantrum room, he crossed his arms. "Deep down you desire so _badly_ for me to be Kira! Can't you two just accept the fact that I'm not him?!"

"Ryuzaki is the world's greatest detective," I replied in a low, calmer voice. The thought of L actually made me cool off in a way that I wasn't like a seven year old child anymore. "If he thinks you're Kira, then he can't be wrong."

An eternal silence drifted amongst us as we just stared resentfully at each other. Scanning his tense form, I noted that his eyes were much darker than usual, not counting the ring of weariness around them. With only a quick glance he seemed like the Light I use to know; charming, caring, justified. Now all I saw was a mystery.

Of course a stream of dubious thoughts filled my mind. _Why am I trusting someone I just recently met over I guy I've known for most of high school? What if Light isn't actually Kira and I'm making a complete psycho out of myself?_

But in the end, I had to go with my gut instinct. "Light, I can't do this anymore." No more explanation was needed. He knew exactly what I meant. "I'm sorry." Part of me meant it, especially when a hint of the old him flashed across his eyes. "I just wanted to find the truth."

"I understand," he finally replied, a hint of disappointment in his voice. "Just know that I want to find Kira as much as you do, and that… " His eyes softened at me. "That I'll always care for you, and I'm always here."

A half smile formed on my face. Not a full one, but a real one at the least. "Whatever. You've gotten so soft."

"You've gotten so untrustful." A bitter smirk was all that remained on his lips. As much as I wanted to punch him in his pretty-boy face, I held in my anger.

"Yuki…?" A wet Sayu peeked her head in the open doorway, towel around her neck, eyes watered slightly. It was obvious that she'd heard the last part, and now she restrained herself from bawling. "Are you leaving?"

Hurrying over to her, I kneeled down and wrapped my arms around the girl, even though she'd just gotten out of the shower. _Now that my fake girlfriend act is up I guess there's no need for me here._ I've screwed up with this family twice in the past year (first when I snuck into a secret police meeting, and now this). I think I've lost my chance at having a steady job here.

"Don't worry," I assured, stroking her damp brown hair. "Your parents have my number so you can call me anytime if you want me to come over. It just won't be as your babysitter anymore."

Sayu laughed through a sniffle. "I'm glad because I'm kinda getting too old for a babysitter anyway." I smiled and gave the girl one last squeeze on the shoulder before standing up.

"Goodbye Light." I nodded gratefully, glad that we could end this without making a scene, then slipped out the door. Downstairs I briskly made it past the doorway to my upcoming freedom. Grabbing my light jacket, I shoved my shoes on and reached to open the door.

Outside, before I even touched the handle, I heard a beeping noise. The sound of a car being locked and boot heels coming up the drive: Mrs. Yagami. _Crap! I don't wanna face her like this!_

Without thinking, I ran through the kitchen and climbed out the backdoor window just as she opened the front door. Yeah, that's called leaving in style. I'm a freaking ninja.

As I trudged back to the hotel, I sighed. After all my efforts to dig up something on Light, the only thing I gained was a reason to change my Facebook status back to single.

* * *

Plodding pitifully through the door, I tossed my jacket to the side, not caring where it ended up, and trudged into the main room. L was perched on the chair, sipping tea, with Watari serving him sweets. Beyond and Akari were lounging on the couch in sweatpants. Everything was pretty laid back at the moment.

Watari cleaned up after L was done eating and passed me as I entered the room. The detective perked up when he saw me, but then pursed his lips when he noticed my sour expression. "I assume something didn't go well for you?"

"Great job at pointing out the obvious Sherlock," I remarked bitterly, slouching in one of the chairs.

Beyond snickered, earning an elbow to the side from Akari. "What's up with you?" she asked, matching my disagreeable tone. Whenever I got snippy, she got snippy, and then everyone got snippy. It wasn't fun.

"Rough day at my job," I sighed, covering my hands over my face and tilting my head upward toward the ceiling. "Correction: at my old job."

"You got fired?" laughed Beyond, more amused than churlish at the moment. Akari glared at him.

"Not necessarily," I explained slowly. The three turned their full attention to me for a better explanation. "I… sort of… quit?"

My best friend facepalmed. "Why would you quit?" she asked with a moan.

"Because… um… it's a long story. Well, not that long…"

"Just tell us already!" urged Beyond, ready to be amused at my failure.

I glanced at L who also seemed interested so I gave in. "I was alone with Sayu, then she went to take a shower. So I decided to… do a little, um, sleuthing myself." Akari rolled her eyes, already realizing where this was going. "I went to Light's room and actually logged into his computer."

"How did you log into Light-kun's computer?" wondered L, setting down his cup on the table next to him. "Did he reveal his password to you?"

I shook my head and smiled with pride. "I guessed it. Actually, it was easier than you think, if you know Light."

"What was it?" asked Beyond, stifling his snickers. "Imagay?"

"Justice," I answered simply. Beyond and Akari shrugged, but L's eyes flashed as he murmured the word to himself. _Justice. Hmm, is it really a coincidence that was his password?_

The detective across from me bit his lip, a hopeful glint in his dark eyes. "What did you find Yukimi?" Whenever L was exceedingly curious in something, he'd use my full first name.

Displaying a despondent expression, I looked away. "Absolutely nothing. He deleted all his history so I couldn't see it. Then, well, we broke up and I technically quit."

I couldn't bear to see the hope diminish from his eyes, or the discouraged frown upon his face. Now we were back at square one with nothing to hold against Light. Currently our only hope was Aoyama and Shibuya.

"I'll make sure to inform the others," I heard L's monotone voice speak. In an enigmatic manner, L slid out of his seat and exited the room, leaving the three of us behind to question his mysterious response.

"He got his hopes up," Beyond stated, folding his arms behind his head and leaning back on the couch. "That's what happens."

"Beyond," Akari chastised, pinching him in his exposed underarm, causing the raven to squawk and swatt her away. "Stop being a downer."

"What?" he pouted, shielding his ticklish armpit. "It's the truth! They can't deny the power of disappoint! It's gonna happen sooner or later! Can I- I say _can_ _I_ \- get an amen?!" Sometimes Beyond likes to exaggerate things, but that was just his quirky personality.

"Amen," I concurred gloomily. "He's right. I don't know why I think Light is Kira anyway. It's more of a gut feeling."

"It has to be a gut feeling," Akari replied, rolling her eyes. "We literally have no solid evidence on him." Seeing the depressed look on my face, she tried comforting me. "But don't worry, it'll get better. I'm sure we'll catch Kira someday."

Even after the other two went to bed (which I'm sure is the same bed, but they lock the bedroom room so I can't get in!), I felt this miserable feeling in my stomach. You know, like when you're on a team and they're depending on you, but you totally screw up in the end? That kind of feeling.

I mean, why shouldn't I feel terrible? We have no leads on Kira. This insane second Kira just got thrown into the mix. Even more questions come up when he mentions "Shinigami" and the "notebooks." Nothing makes sense. And, to top that all off, I let my team down. If I had only tried getting into Light's computer weeks earlier then maybe I could've found something… I just felt like crap.

Flipping through the tv channels while sulking on the couch with a cup of green tea, I finally found a classic to watch: Pokemon! Literally the only thing that could cheer me up was getting cozy on the couch while watching my childhood anime.

Halfway through the second episode, a door from the hallway opened and someone emerged from the darkness to greet me: L. Bored as ever, he sighed and trudged over to me. Perching on my left side, he examined my choice in program.

"Is this Pokemon?"

"Obviously."

"Just checking."

"Obviously."

"Are you going to be repeating this word the entire conversation?"

"Obviously." His dark eyes narrowed at me. I just sniggered. "Just kidding."

"Thank you." We continued to watch the show in silence to the very end. I actually forgot why I was sad in the first place. Then he finally spoke up at the beginning of the next episode (it was like a Pokemon marathon all night). "I'm sorry."

I frowned and turned down the volume. "For what? Honestly, I should be the one apologizing. I couldn't find anything on Light." Ah, now I remember why I was sulking.

"I should not have put you in that situation," he admitted stubbornly. "For some reason I was just expecting you to discover something. Anything. To be honest, it was just a desperate move I made to catch Kira."

"Don't worry L," I reassured with a sad smile. "I still think he's Kira. No matter how perfect he is." That was the clue, though. He's just too perfect. His dad is a police chief, which proves how he could've gotten access to any police files, and the women in his family are typically normal. _It did seem odd how he has a strong sense of justice… something both Kira and L share._

"I assure you that you have no reason to be upset with yourself," L stated, staring me sympathetically in the eyes. "It wasn't your job to convict Light. I only used you as a spy. Clearly that didn't help." He muttered the last part under his breath.

"It's fine," I yawned, feeling extremely sleepy all of a sudden. "You can use me whenever you want." A light blush appeared on his cheeks, but I was too tired to feel embarrassed of myself. Suspiciously, I was getting way too sleepy way too fast.

On the coffee table, I reached for my cup of tea. Missing it by a mile, I groaned. L reached over for me and brought it up to his mouth. Then sniffed it. "It would be best if you not drink this."

Frowning, I could feel my eyelids droop. "W-Why?" I asked, then yawned loudly again. My body was so weak, I just wanted to close my eyes and go into a peaceful slumber.

"I noticed Beyond pouring something into it earlier," he elucidated, eyeing the mysterious tea. "It might have been the pills Mr. Yagami left behind that he uses to sleep at night. I believe he crushed them into a powder when no one was looking."

 _Sleeping pills? Crap._ "Dangit Beyond," I muttered. "You… idiot." Sitting up, I eyed his bedroom door angrily. "Moron…" Pushing myself up, I intended on going to his room and busting the door open to give him a piece of my mind.

But instead I crashed before I even left the couch. Instantly I fell into a deep sleep… Right on L's lap.

* * *

 _Okay, so, this won't take long, but I have a question for you guys. After I finish this fanfic, which I will someday soon, I want to write another one and post it on here. BUT I don't know if it should be Death Note or something else._

 _So, here's a list of other anime that I would potentially write a fanfic about so if you could just REVIEW and leave your opinion (or if you really don't care then just pick one at random, whatever suits you) because it would be really helpful!_

 _Death Note_

 _Seraph of the End_

 _Black Butler_

 _Ouran High School Host Club_

 _So, please REVIEW and thank you for your time! :D_


	18. Time

_Hola my readers! Regarding the question I asked at the end of the last chapter (though I know a couple of you may know) I won't say what story I'm doing next, but I will say that I plan to_ _eventually_ _do a story for each anime._

 _This chapter was... iffy to write. This one and the next one are more or less filler chapters for something I'm planning, but that doesn't mean they aren't important (because they totally are) ;)_

* * *

 **Days Later…**

The atmosphere was exceedingly tense between Light and I. We all sat around a long coffee table scattered with reports and notes. Aizawa and Matsuda were seated on the couch, and on their sides were L and Light. Mr. Yagami sat in separate chairs across from the couch.

The light from the windows shaded Light's face so I couldn't read it, but everyone could just feel the tension. By now, the men were aware that Light had caught me, and Light was aware that they knew I was faking being his girlfriend in the first place.

It was just awkward for everyone.

Clearing his throat, Aizawa read the report. "So we were there both days. In Aoyama on the 22nd, and in Shibuya on the 24th, and we observed nothing of significance on either of the occasion. That leaves us with only the dome on the 30th."

"And what if you don't find anything there?" Akari asked. I jumped, realizing that she was criss-cross on the floor beside me. Her and Beyond finally decided to join us for a meeting.

Aizawa tried not to sigh with disappointment. "Then we'll keep doing our job." But even he hoped that we'd get a break in the case.

Suddenly L's laptop beeped and a "W" appeared on the screen. Watari. "Ryuzaki, apparently Sakura TV has just received another message from the second Kira."

Akari let out a sigh of temporary relief. I'd almost forgot about that copy cat; we still had him to go off of. Everyone stood up to be closer to the screen. "It was postmarked on the 23rd," Watari added before switching over to the video.

That sickening name appeared on the screen, blatantly mocking us. "I'm proud to say that I have found Kira. To all of the people at the television station and police department, I'd like to thank you very much."

"We're screwed!" remarked Beyond, popping up from behind the couch.

 _What? Oh that's just great._ "That means it had to have been in Aoyama," I stated aloud, mostly to myself.

A black mop of hair sprang up from behind L's chair. "I have a theory!" Beyond announced boldly. Because we couldn't care less, we looked at Beyond, but weren't preparing on taking him seriously. Jabbing a finger at the rookie he exclaimed, "Matsuda is the second Kira!"

Out of sheer shock, Matsuda yelped and fell off the couch. "B-But that's not true! I can assure you t-that I'm not the second Kira!" Akari and I gave him the _Are you serious?_ look before shaking our heads.

L pinched the bridge of his nose. "Beyond, please settle down and stop making vacuous statements." The killer snickered, but obeyed his superior.

"This is a disaster if he found him," Aizawa said.

"Yeah," agreed the Chief. "It most likely means that the two Kiras are cooperating."

L picked up his teacup and stirred it methodically. "At this point, I don't think we should jump to any conclusions."

"Right," I agreed calmly, leaning against the armrest of my chair. "The second Kira is only saying that he's found him. They might not have even made contact." _Let's just hope._

"Now that it's come to this," the detective went on after sipping his drink, "we have no choice but to communicate as the police directly with the second Kira."

"If we can send him a message," Akari picked up, "then we can try and get some information out of him. The police want to reach out to him and offer up some deal, and we want to see if he'll give us Kira's real name."

"Exactly," L replied, sipping his tea and staring over at my best friend. "I see you're learning quickly. Well done." All the redhead could do was beam with pride.

I chuckled, seeing her happy to be complemented by the famous detective. Stealing a glance at Light from the corner of my eye, I saw him narrow his eyes. _What's going on inside that charming head of yours?_

* * *

 **A Couple More Days Later (sorry for the time skips!)**

Hair hanging loosely on my shoulders, eyes drooping, I trudged into the room and sunk into a chair. It was 2:30 in the morning and I had been woken up by Watari and sent here. Why? _Maybe this is about the last video from the second Kira. Since he thinks they're working together, L might want my opinion._ Or he's just trolling me.

L was perched in his usual position, staring aimlessly at the white screen in front of him. "Ah, good to see you're awake Yuki." I grunted in reply. "Would you like a cup of tea?"

"Why am I here L?" I inquired harshly, not bothering to use his alias. As you can tell, I didn't like to be woken up in the middle of the night. I had class tomorrow, too!

When the detective didn't answer, a cold chill ran up my spine. Shuddering, my lips curled into a frown as I waited for L's answer. Something about him, though, seemed very serious. "Have you ever thought about the future at this point?"

Furrowing my eyebrows, I didn't need to think twice. "Of course. Catch Kira. Finish college. Get a job, maybe even start a fam-"

"I don't mean that future," he interrupted, taking a sip of his tea. I swear the guy drinks twenty gallons a day.

"Then what _do_ you mean?" He was starting to creep me out. Usually he isn't this serious. I mean, when we first started working together I thought he was a spineless genius. I still think he is, but we've opened up to each other a little more.

"If we don't catch Kira," he said bluntly, his voice as monotone as ever. "When I die."

If it was possible, my eyes would've popped out of their sockets. As my heartbeat quickened, I nearly tripped over myself trying to get to him. Circling around the chair, I put my hands on each arm rest and stared him straight in the eyes. "L Lawliet, I promise that you aren't going to die."

He didn't even wince when I used his real name. "Yuki, you can't assure my safety," he contradicted. "If it's true, if both Kiras are working together, then I simply do not stand a chance."

I scoffed, not moving from my place. "L, they don't even know your face, nevertheless your real name! As long as you aren't seen, you'll be-" Instantly I realized where this was going. "You're joking, right? You aren't really going out in public?"

Not answering only made me more frustrated. Running my hands over my silver hair, I bit my lip and attempted to talk him out of it. "Just stay here and let me do whatever you have to do! I'll go back to Aoyama, or stalk Light, or do whatever you need."

"It's not that simple," he responded, a hint of disappointment in his tone. Instead of looking at me, he lowered his gaze to the carpet. " _I_ am the one who must be seen. It won't work if it's you."

The more he spoke, the more confused I got. "Why do you _have_ to be seen? Where are you going anyway?"

I kneeled in front of his chair so he would finally look me in the eyes. "Tomorrow I plan to visit To-Oh and speak with Light. I have been forced to make a sneak attack."

Slumping my shoulders, I sighed. "I'm sorry for getting frustrated, but… I can still promise you that you won't die."

"No you can't," he replied sharply. Seeing my disheartened face, his eyes softened. "But I suppose I cannot stop you from hoping." Not letting his guard slip any longer, he shifted his gaze back at the screen. "But I do suggest that you consider your next move if I happen to be killed."

Sinking onto the floor, I crossed my arms. "If you die, which I'm sure you won't, then I'll still keep working the case. No matter what, I'm not giving up until we catch Kira."

"That is my point. If our current efforts in this case aren't efficient enough then we don't know how long this search will go on. I don't want you to waste your life trying to seek revenge on a mass murderer that may never be caught."

"But isn't that what you're doing?"

"This is my job," he replied like he'd repeated the phrase a million times. "You still have a whole life ahead of you. Just consider doing something more worthwhile."

I frowned in confusion. "Are you telling me to quit this?" The thought was almost impossible. _My parents are gone so I wouldn't have them to lean onto anymore. God knows what's gonna happen to Beyond. Akari will most likely stick with the raven, or move on to college to be a detective, which is her dream. But me? Will I be all alone? What if L really does die?_ "Someone needs to catch Kira," I replied, determined to stay focused.

"People will always be trying to catch him," L affirmed. "But it will be the people whose job it is to catch criminals. You're only in college yet."

It seemed like my efforts to stay strong on this were failing. But I still had one more thing to say that I was sure about. Straightening my back, I smiled faintly. "L, as long as you're here, as long as you're working this case, then I'm not giving up. I'll balance this with college, and a part time job if I have to. But as long as you're alive, I'm going to help you catch Kira."

He let my words sink in, then he sighed. "I suppose I can't argue there." We faced each other and I smiled. Seeing my satisfied reaction, L gave a small smile, too.

"So that's all you wanted to tell me?" I asked, getting up.

He nodded and took a sip of his tea. "Yes, that will be all. You may go back to sleep now." Picking up a remote, he clicked on the screen and continued watching surveillance videos from Aoyama.

Being too tired to walk all the way back to my room, I plopped down on the couch on the other side of the room where L could see me. When he noticed, he blinked, but said nothing.

Closing my eyes, I sighed. So much to think about… _L thinks he might die soon, and he's going out in public tomorrow. If he dies… he wants me to give up this case. What would I do without this?_ To be honest, I wasn't sure of anything anymore.

* * *

"What's the surprise?" wondered Akari for the hundredth time today. I really regret telling her anything now.

"I'll let you know when I see it," I repeated, a ticked off look on my face. Trekking across campus with a black satchel slung around my neck, my eyes twitched with annoyance.

Beside me, Akari pursed her lips and averted her gaze, humming quietly. Then, on cue, she whipped her head back at me. "Just tell me what the surprise is!"

Before I could snap at her, I saw him. My heart instantly jumped out of my chest at the sight. Not only because he was adorable, but because he was _here_ , out in public.

"There he is," I breathed, gripping my strap tighter. Akari followed my gaze and her eyes widened.

"Why is he here?"

"It's for the case."

"Why isn't he in disguise?"

"He wanted to be seen."

"Why does he want to be seen?"

"It's a sneak attack on Light."

"Why doesn't he just-" Before she could finish another irritating question, I shoved her away. "Why are you so abusive?"

Ducking down, I crawled behind a cluster of bushes to get a closer look. Soon Akari joined me, but said nothing. We watched as Light approached L and they began talking. The brunette's back was facing us so I couldn't read his face, but I knew he was surprised.

As L slipped on his shoes, they shuffled away together, probably heading somewhere to talk. Briefly I made eye contact with L, but he just looked away. I'm glad he didn't draw too much attention to me.

"Come on," whispered Akari as they ambled away. "Maybe we should join them and-"

"Light! There you are!" A girl came running up the stone path toward the two boys. Blonde hair, neat makeup, a peppy smile. Although she seemed like the cheerleader type, her dark outfit reflected a different image.

We scooted closer to see her better, and I could hear her talking about some photoshoot and coming to see Light. Then she introduced herself as Light's girlfriend to L. _Girlfriend? Wow, he's moved on quickly. What a player._

Finally she angled herself so I could see her full face. Above her head I saw her name… but nothing more. _Misa Amane._ Why couldn't I see her lifespan? Wait, this has happened before!

I flashed back to when I first came to Light's house for my babysitting job. Before, in high school, I could usually see his lifespan perfectly fine. But that day, it disappeared.

Now I can't see Misa's either. Is that supposed to mean something? I never did tell L about the lifespan thing. Is it connected to Kira somehow? But how would that work?

As I kept trying to make an explanation, I knew I couldn't be sure of any theory. The only thing I was sure of was that Misa was officially on my suspect list. Right under Light.


	19. Punishment

Whipping out my phone, my first instinct was to take a picture. So I snapped a few photos with full view of Misa's face and slid my phone back in my pocket. I didn't care if anyone saw me crawl out of the bushes on my hands and knees, though luckily Light nor Misa noticed me.

Abandoning Akari, I tightened my braid as I made my way over to the three. "Hey guys," I greeted casually, standing between Misa and L. The brunette across from me raised a suspicious eyebrow.

"Oh, hey, Yuki," he replied politely, holding back the annoyance in his voice. Misa obviously noticed the unusual tension between us and scowled.

"Uh, Light, who is she?" Leveling up to me, she gave a "hmph" and grabbed protectively onto Light.

"Yuki is my… ex girlfriend," Light explained awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. This wasn't comfortable for either of us, but I wasn't surprised that he'd moved on so quickly. Especially to a smug model like her.

"Why is she here then?" the blonde questioned innocently, hiding the spitefulness in her tone. You know, her first impression isn't very positive.

Light was about to answer, but I saved him the embarrassment. "I just came by to talk to Ryuga," I quickly half-lied. I did want to talk to L, but I mostly wanted to spy on Misa. Something about her just didn't sit right with me, especially since I couldn't see her lifespan.

The raven finally made eye contact with me and flashed a small smile. "Nice of you to join us. I was just telling Ms. Amane that I have been a huge fan of hers since the August edition of Eighteen."

I held back an eye roll as Misa giggled sweetly, completely forgetting about her jealousy towards me, and thanked L. "Hey, aren't you Misa-Misa?" An all too familiar voice spoke up from behind the blonde.

The raven slithered up between Misa and I with a devious-er, _seductive_ smile on his face. His deep red eyes stole a glance above her head as he greeted her smoothly. Her smile widened as she absorbed his attention. "Yeah, that's me! It's so nice to meet a fan!"

Beyond rested his left arm on my right shoulder and grinned charmingly at her. "I've been a fan for a long time, but I never thought I'd meet you in person!" As he spoke, I scanned his outfit: he wore his normal custodian uniform. Still undercover.

Suddenly Misa's eyes flashed with suspicion as she gazed at him more, but then it drained and returned to glee. Looking between L and Beyond, she instantly gasped. "Wha-? Are you two twins or something?"

Said guys glanced at each other and shook their heads rapidly. "Nah, just acquaintances." Beyond winked at the detective and returned his attention to Misa, still using my shoulder as an armrest. "So, do you come here often?"

I somewhat felt bad for Misa. I mean, some creepy stalker-guy dressed as a college janitor says he's a fan of her modeling. Um, can somebody say pervert?

Akari suddenly appeared between Misa and Beyond, scowling at Beyond and smiling fakely at Misa. "Hey Beyond, whatcha doin'?" The raven immediately dropped his arm off me and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Oh, hey Akari…" Lately my two best friends had been acting weird so I did a little sleuthing… and when that didn't work I asked them up front: turns out that they're officially dating. Yay!

While Akari was about to strangle Beyond, Light stepped in and squeezed Misa's shoulders gently. "Hey, maybe we should-"

"Oh my gosh, look! Isn't that Misa-Misa?!" A stampede of college kids surrounded our little group to gawk and meet the famous Misa Amane. The blonde enjoyed soaking up all the attention, thanking her fans kindly.

During all the commotion, I studied the girl from head to toe, wondering if this innocent celebrity could be connected with a mass murderer. If so, it would be the perfect cover up. No one would suspect Misa Amane of all people!

Grabbing Beyond and Akari's shirts, I yanked them out of the crowd, away from anyone else's earshot. I needed to talk to Beyond firstly to see what he'd noted about the new girl. "Did you see it?" I asked him, biting my bottom lip.

The charming aura that absorbed Beyond completely drained as he glanced at her one more time, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, I saw it. I'm guessing it's the same with Light?" I nodded, causing us to rub our chins in thought.

Akari just stood there, blank faced for a moment, before exploding. "Stop talking over my head and just tell me what the crap you two are going on about!" These past few weeks she'd been getting so use to us forgetting that she didn't have the eyes. I wasn't really use to explaining things like this because Beyond could always understand.

The raven next to me blinked before softening his eyes at her. "Light and Misa don't have visible life spans over their head that we can see. It's only them, too, which makes them top on our suspect list."

The redhead frowned, processing the information and trying to find a solution. "Could this be linked to Kira?"

I shook my head, unsure. "We haven't a clue. The only things we know that _are_ connected to both Kiras are the Shinigami and notebook, whatever they mean. All we really know is that we can't trust either of them." The three of us stared aimlessly in every direction as we tried to put some- _any_ \- pieces together. Shinigami… notebook… the power to kill…

Our thoughts were conveniently disrupted by a menacing lady in a green outfit storming up to the crowd. Without needing to push her way through, she grabbed Misa and headed back in the direction she came.

As the crowd quickly disbanded, I wondered if I should just leave Light and L alone to talk or do whatever they were going to do, but L's urgent glance my way guided me right back to him.

"Now then," he began once the three of us joined him, "perhaps we should get going. You would three like to join us for cake in the cafeteria?"

I almost said no, but shrugged. "Eh, why not."

"Actually, could you go on ahead?" wondered Light. "I need to go use the restroom."

I rolled my eyes. "What a wimpy blatter you have." He sent a childish glare my way, but I only chuckled. "Come on guys, let's leave the man to his _privacy_."

We formed a four person line and ambled down the path towards the next building on campus. Akari linking arms with Beyond, and me nuding L playfully, who plainly nudged me back.

It wasn't long until our peace was interrupted by a ring in L's pocket. Bringing out a phone, he displayed it in the air between his two fingers. A creepily entertaining look was plastered across his face as he answered it. "Yes? Hello?"

A voice not too far behind us answered hardly. "What do you mean 'hello?'"

"Oh, is that you Light? I guess someone must've dropped this phone in all of the commotion earlier on. ...Uh hello?"

"Yeah," the distinct voice finally answered. "That's-That's Misa's cellphone you have. I can give it back to her." Footsteps approached from behind, but I didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

"Oh, I see," L replied. "Sure, that makes sense." He cut off the call and handed the phone to Light who now stood behind him. The three of us followed as the detective slowly walked away.

 _Well, what an interesting game this has turned out to be…_

* * *

Three days of being confined and Misa Amane finally starts talking. Three whole days of suffering the pain being locked away without freedom, fear absorbing her soul. Three days I only left my room to go to the bathroom.

From the moment I met her I knew Misa was one of the top suspects for the Kira case. But I never expected L to agree with me. Not only did they find evidence on masking tape that matched evidence from her room, but seized her and confined her to a small room where she couldn't even move.

I'd seen graphic violence on tv (what kid these days hasn't) and heard about crimes and punishments on the news and detective shows, but it's way different when it's actually happening right in front of you. Watching someone get strapped to a chair, unable to see or move properly, wasn't something I wanted to see.

The moment I saw Misa being confined, I exited the room. Instead of being there to witness it myself, Akari and Beyond would return to me with daily updates. And when they told me what happened on the third day, I couldn't believe how much sympathy I suddenly had for the girl. Wanting to kill herself all because of this… how terrified must she have been?

On the day I decided I would attempt to study Misa in her confinement, everything was different. Unlike before when she would barely talk and only beg to be killed, now she was rambling non-stop. Asking where she was, trying to talk to her "stalker," and reasoning her way out. It was like a whole new attitude befell her. She seemed so ignorant that I almost believed she was telling the truth.

Things got more confusing when Light arrived. Making a shocking revelation, Light announced that it was possible that he could be Kira, although he claims he doesn't remember anything like that. What surprised me the most is that he stated every possible reason for us to believe he was Kira, from Raye Penber to Misa.

Then he boldly requested to be locked up and observed like Misa. Mr. Yagami was temporarily taken off the case and confined, so that meant we had three people to watch.

I'll skip the next week because nothing major happened. We literally just sat inside staring at a screen the entire day. Nothing worth mentioning.

It was in fact a week later when Light finally broke. I wasn't around to watch, though, because Akari and I had returned to our regular schedule of classes. I got use to leaving early in the mornings and returning home late, I never bothered to take another look at the cameras. Beyond did keep my best friend and I thoroughly informed.

Two weeks later, criminals began dying again. It didn't make sense! All evidence pointed to Light, then Kira returned. Either Light was really telling the truth or… I don't know what. L made sure, though, that Light didn't know. Still, the brunette played innocent.

* * *

 **Over a Month Later**

Chaos erupted in the car. As I listened, my eyes squeezed shut, a flood of anxiety crept through me. Light's frenzied voice was mixed in with Misa's fearful pleads. Then, as the shot rang out, I held my breath.

Fluttering my eyelids open, I stared at the three people in the car, all still alive. Mr. Yagami, now drenched in sweat, sighed with relief. Light and Misa looked shocked, faces pale with fear.

"Were you watching Ryuzaki?" Mr. Yagami's drained voice asked. "I did exactly as you said and, as you can see, I'm still alive."

"Yes, it was a convincing performance." Matsuda, Aizawa, Akari, Beyond, L, and I faced the tv screen that had all three people plastered on it. L was the only one of us in a chair. "If Amane were the second Kira, who only needs a person's face to kill them, there was no doubt she would've killed you before you had the chance to fire your weapon. Also, if Light was in fact Kira, the Kira I know wouldn't hesitate to kill his own father to save himself. With Light in particular I cannot rule out the possibility that he's seen through our act at some point. However, as we agreed, I will end their confinement immediately."

It's been about 50 days since they were originally confined, and only more questions seem to pop up. They were the Kiras then they weren't. There's solid evidence, but then there's contradicting evidence.

Honestly, at this point in the case, my energy has been drained. I'm just barely moving along with L as best we can to try and crack the infamous Kira. Whoever he is.

"And as we discussed," L went on, "Amane will remain under surveillance until Kira is apprehended. Although she insists the tapes we found were just a cult video, the physical evidence we have and her confession suggests otherwise."

Misa began to argue about being suspected, but Mr. Yagami cooled her down with his reassuring words. I was about to mention how she should be glad that she wasn't confined anymore when L added something unexpectedly.

"Like I said," he began firmly, catching everyone's attention, including the three in the car, "she has much evidence against her. Although I did not want to have to resort to this, it may be best."

"What are you talking about Ryuzaki?" inquired Mr. Yagami, not being aware of what the detective was about to say. In fact, no one was.

"I am saying that Misa cannot be completely trusted." L's orbs flashed to me from the corner of his eyes. "From now on, Misa and Yuki will be together 24/7, Yuki acting as Misa's surveyor. I will do the same with Light. And that's how we'll remain until we've brought Kira to justice."

Misa, Light, and my eyes widened the most at his words. Gaping, my face went pale. Akari and Beyond glanced worriedly at me and gulped. I was frozen in place as Light willingly agreed. "Fine by me. We'll catch Kira. Together."

"Yes, I look forward to working with you." He clicked off his microphone as Mr. Yagami started the car up again, intending to bring the two suspects back to the hotel.

As he turned his body to me, I grabbed his shoulders harshly, causing a gasp from Matsuda and Aizawa. "Why?" I asked defeatedly, staring into his firm eyes. "Why have you sentenced me to such a painful punishment?"

He sighed, carefully plucking my hands off him. "Oh please don't be so dramatic. Just think, you'll be chained to a beautiful model all the time." His words struck me down as I sunk to the floor, wallowing in my self pity.

Chained? To Misa Amane? 24/7? Until we catch Kira? This was truly the worst punishment I would _ever_ imagine. "Aw come on," Akari started, chuckling nervously. "It can't be _that_ bad, can it?" I glared at her as hard as I could, hoping to burn a hole in her forehead, then run over her with a bulldozer. She rolled her eyes. "It's just innocent Misa Amane. You're mature enough to handle it, right?"

I sighed, covering my face with my hands. "Fine, whatever. As long as she doesn't do anything to tick me off, I'm sure I'll be fine." My voice cracked.

 _Innocent… Misa… Amane… right?_


	20. Misa Made Me This Way

Are you sure this is necessary Ryuzaki?" Light held up his arm, examining the handcuff secured around his wrist that chained him to the detective. He would go to great lengths to prove he wasn't Kira, but, at the same time, he thought it was ludicrous and that it would give people the wrong impression.

"This is as difficult for me as it is for you," L responded with his usual monotone voice, but this time there was a tint of regret. L _regretting_ his actions? Even if he didn't, I wholeheartedly did.

"This is completely _unnecessary_ ," I muttered sharply, but by now my complaints had been deliberately ignored, especially by L. He explained to me that this would assure Misa's surveillance just in case no one was able to keep an eye on her, though now I was beginning to feel that the only reason I was being forced to do this was because he had nothing better to stick me with.

Being together with Misa for twenty four hours a day… Back when I first started working this case, I honestly wouldn't have been able to handle it. Seeing as how I've come so far, grown maturely, then maybe, just _maybe_ , I could eventually form a friendship with the blonde. Though it was highly unlikely.

Fiddling with the metal handcuff around my left wrist, my eyes trailed the long chain as it connected to Misa's right wrist. The skittish look in her eyes made me wonder if she felt nervous about doing this. All day. Everyday.

"So," she laughed nervously, obviously uncomfortable with the sudden wave of awkward silence that passed through the room. "This is what you meant by being together twenty-four hours a day, huh? Looking at you I never would've guessed. Are you on _that_ side of the fence Ryuzaki?"

It was difficult not to grin at Misa's suggestive comments. I might've thought L felt something toward Light, especially after this little stunt, but I highly doubted it. It's not like I have a better chance with him; I've only kissed the raven once on the cheek.

"I told you I'm not doing this because I want to, okay?" His tone seemed tiring as he spoke. Misa's constant chatter was not only getting to him, but to the other men as well.

"But Light belongs to me!" Misa whined, stomping her foot on the maroon carpet. "I don't wanna share him with you! If you're with him 24/7 then how are we supposed to go on dates together?" _You can go on a date anytime you want when you both are in prison._

L hummed, his eyes darted aimlessly around the maroon-themed living room in the hotel. "Oh, you can still go on dates, but it'll have to be the four of us." I narrowed my eyes in complaint, obviously not thrilled at the idea.

Misa wasn't too stimulated either. "No way?! Are you telling me that we have to kiss in front of you and stuff?" _And stuff?_ What did she plan on doing with Light during their "dates"?

"I'm not telling you to do anything," L said, almost politely asserting himself, "but yes, Yuki and I would be watching." Shuddering at the thought, I heaved a sigh. This would be more tiring than I expected.

In the spacious room, Matsuda stood by Mr. Yagami and Aizawa who were seated on the couch. The Chief seemed excruciatingly worn out by all the current excitement, but Aizawa was boiling with anger.

Akari and Beyond leaned against the wall beside the couch, scowls abiding on their faces. Beyond seemed additionally stressed as Misa continued ranting, hands clenching tightly into fists. Shaking with vexation, he slowly lifted his head to make eye contact with me. A grim flash of animosity crossed his red eyes, instantly activating the alarm in my head.

Beyond was honestly a… unique guy. Adorable at the least, he was charming at times, and usually witty and playful. But every day I had to remind myself… he's a killer. Inheriting the blood of my father, I knew there was a high percentage of unpredictability in him. When he got angry, he got _angry_ and _hostile_. Witnessing my father first hand, I knew it wasn't a pretty sight to see a killer at his full capacity. Even though Beyond was one of my best friends, he was also a killer at heart.

My brother had a shady past as well. I've been informed of the… incident at Wammy's House, where he and L grew up, involving L's first successor, A. After that, Beyond was an emotional mess, mixing intense feelings with personal vendetta. It was truly horrifying to read about the LABB Murder Case, realizing the true potential of him and what he was capable of doing, especially to _whom_ he did it to and _how_. In the end he actually planned to commit suicide, an act so heartbreaking, but eye opening. No matter how I currently felt about my brother or his relationship with my best friend, I could never fully trust him. Beyond Birthday was a killer to be reckoned with.

I shot my eyes to Light who, sensing Beyond's intense irritation, glared at his girlfriend. "Listen Misa, that's enough. The police have already established that it was you who sent those tapes so you're lucky to even be here right now, even if you are chained to Yuki. They have every right to keep you in prison."

"Huh?" Apparently she couldn't understand when she needed to calm the heck down. "How can you even say that Light? Don't you remember I'm your girlfriend? Don't you trust your own soul mate?" _Soul mate? Her, Light's soul mate? Ha!_

The brunette seemed a little taken back as Misa scooted closer to him for attention. "Uh, what do you mean soul mate? You're the one who said you fell in love with me at first sight Misa."

I flashed an _Uh oh_ glance at L who bit his lower lip, obviously sensing the predictable outburst. Misa instantly began tearing up, letting her emotions suddenly control her. "So why did you even kiss me if you don't have feelings for me?! You took advantage of me?!" From heartbroken to foolishly angry in an instant, she stormed over to the innocent Light, yanking me along with her, and let her anger out on him.

None of this was helping the men's case, each one getting more aggravated by the second. Noticing Beyond tense up again, Akari shot me a worried glance.

"About this 'love at first sight', it happened in Aoyama on May 22nd, didn't it?" Leave it to L to keep on the focus of the case. The workaholic who never sleeps. As he started asking her some follow up questions, I regained my balance from almost falling flat on my face with Misa's every move, and stood next to Light.

When I assumed he wasn't looking, I stole a glance in his direction only to find out he'd already been gazing at me. Crap. We locked eyes for a couple seconds before he let out an airy chuckle. "What?" When his only answer was a wider smirk, I huffed impatiently.

Finally he answered with another chuckle, "Nothing."

"Wow that was disappointing," I mumbled, looking back at him to see another small smile on his face. _Weird. This doesn't seem like the Light I've been around these latest months. Why's he different now?_

Soon L got to the question of how Misa would feel if Light was Kira. She stared back at him hesitantly, thinking a little bit over her answer. Sighing like a silly schoolgirl, he slithered to Light and clutched his arm lovingly. "That'd be wonderful! I mean, I'd always been grateful to Kira for punishing the man who murdered my parents so if I found out that Light was actually Kira that would be like a bonus for me. If anything it would make me love him even more! Even though it's probably impossible for me to love him more than I already do!"

I wondered why she loved Light so much. Did she really adore him for who he was? I already knew she admired Kira highly, and if Light was Kira that would make him irresistible to her, but regular Light. _Innocent_ Light. How much did she actually know about him?

My ears perked as she mentioned something about not being afraid of Light if he was Kira, leading me to believe that she could possibly have a naive sense of trust. "I'm a supporter of Kira so if I found out my Light was actually him, I'd find a way to be helpful!"

 _Find a way to be helpful…_ That statement sounded a lot what the second Kira did. The second Kira began killing criminals that the real Kira hadn't "judged" yet, meaning that the copycat wanted to be helpful. That's why he started killing publicly in the first place; he wanted the real Kira's attention and appreciation. Why did that sound a lot like Misa? Oh, probably because she was the second Kira. Even L came to that conclusion.

Not only would I have to be escorted by another idiot (Matsuda-alias Matsui) but I'd be chained to the person we suspect-are completely sure is- the second Kira. My life couldn't get any better.

Suddenly Akari came up behind me as L was talking calmly to Misa. "I think you should take Misa to her room," she advised in a warning voice. The edginess of her tone got me worried about Beyond. The more angry he is, the more dangerous. I personally haven't seen him this angry ever. People like Misa can make anybody want to tear their hair out.

To cease any more choler from arising I took the middle of the chain between us and yanked it toward me as hard as I could. The blonde shrieked out of a startling surprise as she tumbled backwards as I roughly directed us to the door. "We're going to Misa's room," I announced curtly as I struggled to tug her into the hallway. She put up somewhat of a fight, calling frantically to Light about going on a date later, but I eventually managed to slam the door shut, with Aizawa's help of course.

"Hey?! What the heck was that for?" Misa resentfully questioned as I marched down the hall. The chain connecting us didn't even touch the ground as she lagged far behind, tumbling with every step.

I let out a sigh instead of an answer as I pushed open her hotel room door. Pulling her in with me, I ignored her immature pout and dragged my feet to the couch, dropping myself on it face first.

For at least a minute Misa stood over me, unsure of what to do or say. Finally I heard her gasp as an idea came to her naive brain, then she giggled girlishly and gave a strong yank on the chain so I flew into an upright position. "Wha-? Hey!"

Smiling like her usual self, she eagerly shoved her face into my personal space. "Let's have a sleepover!" she announced with strange excitement.

I narrowed my eyes, placing my hands on her cheeks and shoving her face away from me slightly. "Technically, while we're chained together, _every_ night is a sleepover for us."

Frowning with disappointment, she scooted closer to me, but didn't come as close as before, keeping her distance so she wouldn't get shoved again. "But we could actually do girl things like paint our fingernails, do each other's makeup, watch scary movies…! And that red haired girl could join us!"

Slowly a sadistic smirk formed on my face. Lately Akari had been attached to her boyfriend, never leaving his side. It was cute at first, but now it's just plain annoying. Besides, I'm sure L could handle him for at least a night. Although I didn't necessarily enjoy the things Misa talked about, if Akari was there then it might be less intolerable.

Of course I knew she'd kill me for this, but… eh.

Misa and I quietly returned to the room we'd previously been in, but for safety measures I kept her in the hallway. The chain connecting us would first start in the hallway, then slide under the door to reach me.

Once in the room, L and Light trailed over to talk to me privately. Upon seeing my evil smirk, both immediately turned around, but I reached out and tugged them back to me. "L-er, Ryuzaki, can you do me a favor?"

"No," was his curt, initial answer, but I didn't give up.

"You don't even know what it is! It won't be that hard to-"

"No." I scowled and turned to Light.

"Light, can you-"

"Nope."

Scowling at the two of them, I narrowed my eyes. "Look, I just want you to keep an eye on Beyond. Akari's gonna be with us tonight, but I… neither of us would trust him alone."

Understanding my genuine worry, L nodded in consent. "Alright, I will keep him at my side." Light sighed in defeat, not looking forward to spending his time with a killer, but it couldn't be helped.

Now I just needed my best friend to come willingly. Hmm, it might be a tad bit difficult…

* * *

With the lie that we needed help turning on the DVD player, Akari ignorantly followed us into Misa's room. Once she had her back turned, we slammed the door shut and locked it, Misa creepily sticking the key in her bra.

Akari spun around and gulped, her eyes darting the room for an escape route. Unfortunately, there was only one and we were standing in front of it. Sharing mischievous looks, Misa and I lunged at Akari in an attempt to keep her from attacking.

It took about a good ten minutes before she finally agreed to endure the torture with me so the three of us changed into our pajamas and settled on Misa's king sized bed. "So what's first on the stupid list?" Akari asked defeatedly, already regretting everything.

Misa giggled and leaned over the edge of the bed, picking up a small basket with nail polish in it and setting it in the middle of our little circle. "First we do each other's nails," she explained, smiling from ear to ear. Then she opened the nightstand and tossed a neon pink bag next to the nail polish. "Next we do each other's makeup." Then she pointed to the television across from the bed. "Finally we end the night with a horror movie!"

My best friend perked up slightly, her eyes flickering with interest. "I'll admit that I'm looking forward to the last part at least." Misa beamed, glad she did something right to please the redhead.

Then the torture began. For our nails, Akari chose crimson/red, I chose deep sky blue, and Misa chose bright purple (because it apparently matched her pjs). A half hour later of random conversation and painting, all our nails were dry and colored.

Next was (insert gulp here) makeup. This is something I've always hated doing, and never done, but if it made Misa content and not irritating then I'd have to go through with it.

First, I watched patiently as Misa did Akari's makeup. For whatever reason she had, Akari remained tolerable and completely still, surprisingly _not_ looking like she was about to kill the blonde as she applied blush.

"Sooo," Misa sang, gently applying a layer of dark blush to Akari's left cheek, "you and, uh, Beyond are dating, right?" Apparently word spread around quickly so I wasn't surprised she'd bluntly ask.

Stiffening up and closing her eyes as Misa carefully began putting on mascara, a small smile graced my best friend's lips. "Yep. Don't sound so jealous."

"What?!" Misa blushed and shook her head rapidly. "I'm not jealous! I've got Light!" I almost wanted to speak up and make her question the relationship she had with him, but I decided against it. If either of them had doubts then they should confront each other about it. Besides, I hate being an instigator on stuff like this.

Soon Akari's makeup was done, then the two of us cautiously began doing Misa's. Experiences at sleepovers for me never involved doing someone's makeup. Whenever Akari use to come over when I was young, we'd always play video games or watch movies. Doing girly activities like this was foreign to us.

Or at least I thought it was. Blush case in one hand, small brush in the other, Akari expertly began applying layers on Misa's rosey cheeks. I watched helplessly as she did all of the work; outlining the eyes with eyeliner, marking her eyelashes with dashes of mascara, and gradually applying red lipstick onto the lips. Overall, Akari mastered doing makeup because Misa looked amazing.

I stared wildly as the girls got ready to do my makeup. "Akari?" The redhead hummed and looked up briefly from picking out a new tube of lipstick. "Is that really you-?"

Smirking, she slipped a lighter shade into her palm and popped off the lid. "Mom would always make us do girl nights together, doing girly crap like this. That's how I know to do makeup." Smugly, she grabbed my chin and positioned it to where she wanted it. "Just so you know, it's not all that bad."

I felt the cool touch of the lipstick as it slid across my lips. "Hey, I'm not complaining." Before I could say anything else, she made me shut up so she wouldn't mess up. Misa then applied the mascara and eyeshadow. Finally Akari finished everything off with blush.

The three of us hurried over to the mirror to examine ourselves. Each one of us looked pretty decent, almost like professionals had did our makeup. Though I wasn't too attracted by all this, I had to admit that I looked good. At least it wasn't caked on like most celebrities nowadays.

Finally we ended off the girl night by crowding on the couch and putting in a sequel to one of the only horror movies I've ever watched: The Conjuring 2. It wasn't released publicly on video yet, but since Misa was famous she could literally get whatever she wanted to. Thus she obtained this.

As the previews were playing, we sat in the dark covering ourselves up with blankets. Akari sat on the right end, Misa on the left end, and me in the middle. I couldn't help but notice Misa's thoughtful look as she studied me. "What?" I asked, hoping my makeup wasn't messed up.

Through the dimness of the room, lit up by the flashing of the tv, I could see a spark gleaming in her eyes. "You like Ryuzaki, don't you?" Taken back by the sudden, and correct, question, I stumbled with my words.

"I-I, uh, wait you can't just- no, how did you-?"

"It's obvious," she replied, adding in a cheerful giggle. "The way you look at him with a passionate twinkle in your eye, and you seem to enjoy talking to him. By the looks of it, I'd say you're smitten~!" She sang the last word, nudging me playfully.

I was about to defend my, apparently _unobvious_ , affection when my heart skipped a beat. Thinking about L made me rethink it. I believe… ah crap, I think I do really like L. I've adapted to his unique qualities and I've found myself smiling at everything he does, even if I don't externally do it. When I'm with him, I feel safe, like he'll always protect me even if he doesn't return my feelings. Clearly I've given him my full trust, and since he's allowed me to live in the hotels with him and kept me on this case, I'd hope he trusts me. Not to mention that he's as adorable as a panda.

Akari noticed my dreamy look as I slipped further into my thoughts so she pinched my cheek. Squeaking, I slapped her hand away and rubbed the spot where it hurt. "Hey! What was that for?!"

"You were drooling over L," she stated with 100% confidence. Misa bursted into laughter as I blushed, narrowing my eyes at her in playful hatred. "Aw, don't worry, we won't tell him that you wanna sleep with him until you feel comfortable with it."

This time I actually smacked her on the back of the head, my face a bright crimson color, burning up my cheeks. "Shut up!" I snapped, but didn't deny liking L. "The movie's starting."

With smug smiles they turned their attention to the screen, allowing me to breath a breath of relief. As I tried to enjoy the movie, I quickly realized it would be hard. Not because L was on my mind, but because I wanted to pee my pants every five minutes. Honestly, I don't know why I agreed to this because I can't watch a scary movies without covering my eyes, especially when it involves demons or ghosts that possess people. Those topics scare the living dummy of out me (heh, reference… I think)!

Before, I'd always have my dad with me, but now… Beside me, Misa squirmed, making me tense up. Akari didn't say anything, though I assumed she wouldn't be afraid of poltergeists that easily.

Of course it had to start off in Amityville ( **SPOILERS ALL AROUND** ). None of us spoke as the scene progressed to three years later, in England. We got a little insight on the family, but probably only because they'd get killed off sooner or later. Then the creepiness began. Raspy voice of an old man, shadowy figure beside the bed, mysterious rolling fire truck, creepy poundings, channel changing. Suddenly the mood gets tense as Janet (a character) goes looking for the remote, of all things. I hid my eyes under the cover until Misa shrieked, causing me to look up and instantly regret it as I saw a ghostly figure growl the repeated phrase "MY HOUSE" and scare the crap out of, not only Janet, but the three of us. More screaming, not just from the movie, and finally the police are called, the ghosts even having them spooked.

A couple of times I felt Akari jolt next to me, only when I wasn't shoving the blanket over my eyes. Both girls scooted closer to me for a sense of protection. Yeah, like that helped. Demons and screaming, it was hard to not want to run out of the room. Especially when Billy was getting followed by a demon, a creepy rhyme is echoed, and a woman starts foaming at the mouth! By this time, both girls had latched onto each of my arms as I brought my knees up to me and hid my eyes briefly behind them.

Finally all of Hell breaks loose. The woman starts acting possessed, destroying most of the kitchen in a scene, and a mysterious riddle from a demon needs to be solved. Then, all of Hell breaks loose in our hotel room. The three of us are on the edge of our seats, sweaty bodies squished together. The tension is high as the two main characters break into the house with the demon in it.

Just as the movie is at it's peak, the demon appears. I don't know why this was the scariest part, probably because of the built up tension, but the three of us scream bloody murder. ( **SPOILER ENDS!** )

Bolting off the couch, we abandoned the movie to take off down the hallway and crash into the room down the hall where Light, Beyond, and L were the only ones in. Misa and I still connected, we scrambled to L and Light and attached ourselves to them in terror. Akari tumbled into Beyond, sending both of them flying onto the carpet.

I wrapped my arms around the slender man in front of me, burying my face into his soft white shirt. Misa squeezed the life out of Light who could barely breath as he tried to pull her off him. Beyond and Akari looked like they were wrestling on the floor.

"Yuki-?" I dared a look at L who stared at me with curious, wide eyes. "Is something the matter?" When I only replied by shoving my face back into his chest, he sighed, his body shifting to relax. Slowly his arms laid around me in an awkward attempt to comfort me.

"Light!" Misa exclaimed when Light finally removed her from him. "We just watched one of the scariest movies of all time! Can you hold me?" She attempted to strangle him with love again, but he only allowed her to latch onto his arm.

While Misa childishly bugged Light, I sighed heavily into L's shirt, then breathed in his comforting scent. _Stupid horror movie. Making me act like a freaking child… Gah! I'm such a baka!_ Composing myself, I went to pull away when his grip on me tightened protectively. His chin rested on my head as our breathing slowly became in sync.

Beyond and Akari scrambled up from the floor, brushing themselves off and gathering their dignity. "We're gonna go… to our… room now…" Beyond smirked and dragged a blushing Akari behind him, disappearing into the hallway.

L and I took one look at each other and let go of our hold, backing slightly away with embarrassment. Misa clung onto Light, an anxious look in her eyes as she gazed up at him. "Light, can I sleep with you tonight?"

Next to me the detective widened his eyes slightly, a realization passing through them. _Since he and Light were connected, if Misa slept with Light, that meant that she had to sleep with L too!_ I smirked. "Aw, L, don't look so afraid. Misa won't bite."

Catching me off guard, a slight smirked graced his lips. "You forgot that you are also handcuffed to Misa." Gaping, I realized that I'd totally skipped that fact. I found L's eyes and my cheeks began to burn.

Whipping to Misa, I glared at her, letting her know how I felt. "No. Way." Instead of pulling the chain connecting us, I seized her wrist and yanked her behind me while making a beeline for the door. "Good night everyone! I'll remember you all in therapy!"

That night, Misa and I warmed ourselves under the cozy covers of her bed, totally abandoning the rest of the movie. Although I was tired, I couldn't sleep. My eyes soon wandered around the room as they adjusted, trailing up the walls and up to the ceiling. Suddenly, I spotted something in the corner of the walls on the other side of the room.

A security camera. Directed at the living area, which included the couch. For the millionth time that night, my heartbeat quickened as I realized that L had seen/heard everything we said on the couch before the movie.

 _I've screwed myself up so much._

* * *

 _It doesn't help when I'm describing the horror movie while reading the summary at 1 in the morning… Did you hear that creak in the floorboards? *laughs nervously* Yeah, m-me neither._

 _This chapter was longer than I expected, but that's okay. It will have to do for my future two week absence ~_

 _Oh and if any of you care (which I doubt) I just finished watching Tokyo Ghoul… and I totally cried at the end… to those of you who don't know why, I won't say anything, but… *sniffles* I will_ _ **hide**_ _the spoilers so you can feel the feels yourself. (Wow was that even a reference?)_

 _Thanks for the reviews! I really do enjoy reading them :D_


	21. The Mysterious Meeting

_*Checks calendar*_ _Oh, um, hey guys. WoW summer is… *sniffles* it's going to be missed. Sorry for the long wait everyone, just been much busier than usual. But don't worry, soon I'll be getting back into a schedule. For now it's binge watching on Netflix all day..._

 _Here is le next chapter, guest starring two intriguing characters (sorry to those who don't know them)._

 _P.S: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING EXCEPT MY OCs! ~ ~_

* * *

"That's a new record Ryuzaki," I commented unnecessarily as the detective turned the mini key, unlocking the handcuff around my wrist. It was a huge relief as the metal cuff released my hand, like I was free once again. "How long did these actually stay on?"

Misa pouted as the chain fell to the floor of the new HQ. "Aw Yuki! This means we can't have sleepovers anymore!" The blonde seemed genuinely upset, and I could understand why.

We had actually started to become friends, sharing secrets and having violent pillow fights. I had to, reluctantly, admit that she was my new friend. Sadly, our forced adjoinment was coming to an end.

We had only been in the new HQ for a couple weeks when L announced that Misa's 24/7 surveillance would be cut short due to the need of Misa Misa's appearance in public. It was important for no one to infer that she was up to anything suspicious, and having me chained to her wouldn't be beneficial to that.

Now I was finally free, able to shower and sleep by my own will without having to drag a hyperactive model around with me. Though I hate to confess, I would miss the frequent sleepovers we shared with Akari.

The redhead didn't look the least bit upset. "Bon voyage Misa!" she called from the couch during an intense Mario Kart battle with Beyond on her DS. "Oh how I will miss you so."

Even an idiot could sense her sarcasm. "Hey! I'm not going on a permanent vacation! We're only doing this so I won't look weird in public! I'll still stick around you know!" She pursed her lips, hands on her hips sassily.

"I know," was Akari's sad reply.

As the blonde slithered over to interrupt the two couple, L and Light approached me, but only L had the motive to talk to me. "Now that you are not bound to Misa Amane, you are at will to come and go as you please."

His stone cold, blank face said one thing, but his dimmed eyes and tone of voice said another. I gave him a solid look of reassurance, soft smile on my face. "I'm not leaving permanently until this case is solved." _But that doesn't mean I can't venture out for a little while…_

Trudging down the stairs, two messy haired men arrived on the main floor. "Morning Dad," Light spoke up, noticing his father's presence, along with a round-eyed Matsuda. All of us were fully awake and ready to take on the day.

Well, all except Mr. Yagami. Rubbing his weary eyes, he was barely able to make eye contact as he plodded over to his seat. "Good morning Sayu…"

Light blinked once, then twice, before responding slowly. "Dad… I'm Light."

With a swig of his fresh coffee, the Chief was quickly able to compose himself. "Ah, yes, sorry son. It seems that I'm not fully awake yet." Last night a storm had passed through the town, violent and somewhat frightening. If I were to guess, no one really got any sleep.

It was the middle of August now, but nevertheless, Kira was relentless. The killings were still occurring and the team was on a slow point in the case. We watch people die every week, lives taken one after another by the infamous killer.

Although Light assures us that it's just a matter of time before we find an important clue, I'm not holding my breath. I can already predict how this will turn out: we'll most likely be sitting in HQ for a couple more months before we catch onto something. Time is the only element in this plot.

When Aizawa finally arrived, the Task Force members got to work with whatever loose lead they had come up with. L and Light sat at the end of the table, L observing Light as he went through information on the computer. And the killer couple were still lounging on the couches, Misa eagerly watching Akari over her shoulder.

I could tell it would be one of those days- no, I could tell it would be one of those _weeks_ where we would be crammed in this tedious building, going over research after research just to come up with nothing.

As much as I wanted to catch Kira, I couldn't possibly do it in here. My mind needed to roam free in a different environment to be able to work better. That's just how I was. I honestly don't know how Ryuzaki could just sit behind a screen everyday.

Without a word, I slowly backed up, taking silence steps toward the door in the back of the room. Luckily everyone else was too preoccupied to notice me slip out the door. Well, I'm sure Watari noticed, but I doubt he'd speak up.

Fresh air hit my face the second I was outside, relieving me of the close confinement of HQ. It felt amazing to wander the streets without a famous model chained to my wrist. Now I fully understood the definition of free.

As a gentle breeze of chill wind blew, I tugged on my tan cardigan in hopes of warming up. Strolling down the busy streets of Tokyo, I admired the scenery around me. After awhile I actually forgot what I was supposed to be doing.

Still roaming aimlessly, I managed to direct myself to a small cafe/restaurant called "Cozy Corner" that sold sweets and an assortment of delicious baked goods. Eyeing all the delectable sweets in the display case that I hadn't laid my hands on yet, I felt for my wallet in my jean pocket.

Joining the end of the short line, I waited patiently behind a father and his daughter, or something like that. The man had on a white lab coat, and the little black haired girl behind him was grasping his big hand tightly.

I smiled inwardly as she rambled on about trying the new custard cream waffle that her friends had told her about. Since both their backs were towards me I couldn't see their faces, but I knew that the man was smiling.

As the line finally decreased, the two ahead of me hurried up to the counter. While the little girl held protectively onto the man's lab coat and stared shyly at the young male worker, the man ordered for the both of them. "We would like two of your new custard cream waffles, please."

Giving a brief nod, the worker typed it into the cash register before replying. "That'll be 1000 yen."

Reaching into his pocket, the man went for his wallet, but when his hands started moving drastically around his body, I knew something was up. Flashing open his lab coat he searched frantically inside until he sighed in frustration. "I left my wallet on the table," he mumbled regretfully.

Suddenly the little girl gasped and I could hear the tears in her voice. "Daddy… "

Gulping, I pulled out my own wallet and stepped up to the counter. Not wanting this scene to gather more attention (and out of the kindness of my heart of course) I paid for both mine _and_ their order. The worker took my 1,500 yen (500 per waffle) and handed me a receipt.

While he was getting our orders, I turned around to face the two strangers, glancing quickly above the father's head first, then his daughter's. _Kimihiko Nikaido. Maki Nikaido._

Mr. Nikaido seemed overly thankful, his face reflecting a great deal of relief and- well, mostly relief. His daughter, Maki, had the widest, most grateful smile on her round face. Giggling, she ran up to me and wrapped her arms around my legs. "Thank you thank you thank you!"

Slightly taken back, I didn't say anything at first, but when she removed herself from me, I smiled gently down at her. "It was my pleasure." When the worker returned with the waffles, I handed Nikaido and his daughter each one before taking mine.

Assuming this was all over, I turned to head down the street when someone from behind tugged at my cardigan. Maki stared up at me with wide eyes, clutching her pastry. "Do you wanna come eat it with us? Daddy's taking me to the park!"

 _Not really_ I thought. _I don't even know you people!_ Glancing over at her father, I received his acceptance nod so I didn't even bother fighting. I mean, she was like, 10 years old.

"I-uh, sure!" Without letting me get in another word, she snatched my wrist and dragged me behind her as she skipped ahead in that direction. After a bit she let go and we dialed it down to walking to let her father catch up.

As Maki hummed and strolled ahead of us, her father chuckled. "I'm very sorry if this is an inconvenience to you," he apologized, unsure of how I felt about being randomly dragged to a park with two strangers. "She has a mind of her own sometimes."

I laughed, gazing at the carefree little girl. "It's alright. I probably need the walk anyway."

Nikaido reached out his hand to me so I shook it as he spoke. "I'm Kimihiko Nikaido, but feel free to call me Professor Nikaido. The girl in front of us is my daughter Maki."

"I'm-" I froze, clamping my mouth shut. _I don't know this man; he's a stranger. Even though he's got a little girl with him doesn't mean he's not a threat!_ I glanced at them both. _Then again, he isn't lying about his name…_ "I'm Yuki Miyoshi."

"Well Ms. Miyoshi," he began, his kind eyes twinkling, "thank you for accompanying us on this excursion. I hope we don't waste all of your day."

"Don't worry," I replied. "I've pretty much got an open schedule." Which is completely true since I didn't plan on going back to HQ anytime soon. I decided to call this a mini vacation from the case, a day all to myself. At least, I hope it goes that way.

When we finally arrived at the park, Maki eagerly led us to a picnic table where she sat down to begin eating her treat. Her father sat next to her and I sat opposite, carefully tearing open the wrapper, letting the sweet scent of the pastry fill my nose.

While the three of us started silently eating, I gazed around at scenery. The season was on the verge of changing, leaves tinging with a new color for the transforming weather. The days were getting colder already, and soon it would be winter. For now I'm content with it being fall, my favorite time of the year.

Suddenly, the firecracker popped. "What's your name again?" Maki questioned briskly, staring curiously at me from across the bench.

"Yuki," I replied with a gentle smile. It was absolutely adorable the way her eyes lit up and her emotions played out on her face like a movie. Always scooting about with antsiness, she couldn't keep still for a second.

"I love your hair Yuki!" she exclaimed, round eyes flashing with admiration at my braided silver locks. "It's so pretty! Daddy says that when my hair gets longer then I can braid it!"

Professor Nikaido chuckled while taking a bite of his waffle. Grinning down at her lovingly, I knew they had a close bond. The scene may of reminded me of the relationship with my father, but I wasn't merely as bold and expressive to strangers as Maki was.

"So…" I began, unsure of what to say. Then I glanced at Maki's father with wonder. "It's _Professor_ Nikaido, right? Are you a…?"

"Scientist," he took over when I couldn't find the right word. Ruffling his daughter's hair while she ate, he watched her while he spoke. "I work as a scientist and researcher for the Infectious Disease Center of Asia." _Whoa_ I thought. _Impressive!_ Crumpling up the plastic wrapper in his aged hands, his gaze finally met mine. "What is your occupation, Ms. Miyoshi?"

Maki snapped her head toward me as if the conversation suddenly interested her. I bit my lip, thinking for a moment. _L would kill me- no, Mr. Yagami would kill me if I said anything about working on the Kira case. Better just stick to the obvious truth._ "I'm a college student at To-Oh University. Someday I plan on becoming a detective."

"Wow," Maki murmured in awe, "that sounds fascinating! I bet you'll solve as many cases as L someday!" I blinked back my slight surprise. _Well that was slightly convenient for my part._

"Speaking of L," I instantly directed the conversation to where I wanted it to go, "what's your opinion on him? On this whole situation?"

Professor Nikaido's eyes lowered with an unnoticeable depression. "Ah, yes. Kira. Not the most enlightening conversation topics, is it? I would assume, though, for a girl your age to be interested in this."

Maki sighed, finishing off the rest of her waffle slowly. "Kira is a bad person. I may be ten years old, but I know he's killed lots of people."

I glanced at her father's solemn, thoughtful face. So I guess not even a little girl can escape the knowledge of the mass murderer. He's gotten into so many homes already, destroying the hopes of the nation, and we don't even know what he looks like.

"Though I would prefer my daughter not to worry about this," Professor Nikaido explained quietly while Maki went to the nearest trashcan to throw away our wrappers, "it is vital that she knows the difference between good and evil. Right and wrong."

"Justice and injustice," I added quickly, gaining a nod from him as he continued.

"I've been creating L into a heroic image for her, someone to look up to." Professor Nikaido glanced at his daughter as she skipped back toward us, eyes softening. "She believes that L is protecting the innocent people of this world and will eventually catch Kira. Of course, all that is true, but-"

"But you want L to be a huge focus of hope for her," I finished just before Maki returned. Nikaido relaxed his shoulders, glad that I understood him. Maki needed to believe that there was a superhero fighting against the villains, and that was okay.

In an impulsive act to comfort/excite Maki, I leaned forward slightly and asked her, "Do you wanna know something cool?" When she nodded eagerly, I motioned her to lean closer.

Scooting forward quickly, the girl giggled and her eyes grew hungry with curiosity. "What is it?"

Like I said, completely impulsive, but at the time I thought there was no harm to it. "I work with L."

Her eyes and face lit up like a match-no, more like a firework- as she bounced in her seat. "What?! Really?!" Shushing her, I nodded as she gaped in awe. "Daddy did you hear that?" she whispered to her father, who nodded slowly in return. He gave her a quick smile before raising an eyebrow at me.

Putting my fingers to my lips, I grinned. "But Maki, you have to promise that you can't tell anyone, okay?" Professor Nikaido quickly assumed that I was doing it after what he told me, probably thinking it was all for Maki's benefit.

The little girl twisted her fingers together in a way of suppressing her excitement. "I promise I won't tell!" After a heartfelt salute, she leaned in again. "So what's he like? Is he a prince? A superhero? Is he like Sherlock?"

Taking a moment to think, I hummed. _Is he?_ Catching her father's amused eyes, I moved closer to them and looked around to make sure no one was close enough to hear. Then I turned to Maki. "He's all that and _more_."

Never before I had seen so much hope and admiration in a person's eyes until then. Maki seemed overly enthralled by this image of L, picturing a hero that was doing everything in his power to save the world. "And you talk to him?!"

Now I had to hold back a laugh. _Yeah, we talk… and I kissed him twice on the cheek already. And practically confessed my feelings to him._ "Yep, he considers me his assistant. I help him with the Kira case everyday!"

"Is he really what you say he is?" she questioned, gathering the answers just to make sure. "A prince? A superhero? The smartest detective ever?"

"Like I said, he's so much more than that." My eyes shifted to the rustling trees, but I wasn't looking at them really. I was thinking of that lovable panda. "He's intelligent, kindhearted, clever. His sense of justice is stronger than any other. But he's also adorable, and loveable, and-" Blinking, I realized I was getting a little bit carried away. "He truly cares for you, Maki. He cares for every innocent person in the world. That's why he's gonna catch Kira and save us."

Professor Nikaido grinned as his daughter was reassured of the famous detective. This picture of L is to protect her so she's not afraid of living in the open. So she's not afraid of Kira.

Little does he know, I actually meant what I said.

During our entire conversation, no one questioned why I was here. We didn't really care that we were strangers because now we acted like friends, chatting the rest of the afternoon away. In our last half hour together we around the pond and watched the geese.

Then I decided I should head back to HQ, so I bid my farewells to Maki and Professor Nikaido. In private, Maki's father thanked me for the encouragement and offered to pay for my waffle, but I refused and thanked him for the great time.

Waving goodbye to the little girl and her father, I spun around and began back the way I came, the conversation of the day still floating in my mind.

* * *

I arrived at HQ to find it had erupted in chaos. Misa was chasing frantically after Light while he desperately ran to escape her, yanking the annoyed L behind him. Beyond looked like he had gone savage, growling and pouncing at Matsuda who shrieked- like a girl might I add- and tried to hide. Akari was wrestling Aizawa on the floor: and she was winning.

At the top of the steps stood a calm Watari, gazing at the scene in mere amusement while sipping a cup of tea.

Red eyes wide with utter shock, I gaped for a good minute until I blinked out of my daze to reach for my purse on the table and pull out an air horn. Raising it up in the air, I sounded it off, wincing at the loud noise.

Literally, everyone froze. Even Watari, who was mid-sip, hesitated to breath.

With everyone's full attention, I sighed wearily, wondering how this mess occurred. "I leave for _one afternoon_ and this happens. What the heck is wrong with you people?! How did this happen?"

Sprawled out on the ground was a neutral L who had tripped while being dragged by Light. Slowly he shifted and got up, slouching in place. I stared wildly at him and commanded, "Explain. Now."

Scratching his ruffled raven hair, he rubbed one foot with the other. "Well… It would seem that Misa gets hysterical when she does not have an appropriate amount of time with Light-kun, and Light-kun is the exact opposite. Akari concluded Aizawa thinks men are more powerful than women, and both tend to express their opinions physically. Beyond is territorial of Akari and does not appreciate Matsuda's tendency to flirt. As for me, well, I was merely an innocent bystander in the middle of this imbroglio."

Light rolled his eyes, not bothering to let out a scoff. "We all know that last part isn't true Ryuzaki. Wasn't it _you_ who dumped hot coffee on my dad when he said that he wished all sweets were banned from Japan?"

On the floor, Akari hummed in thought, adding, "No, I think it was when he caught Ryuzaki stalking Yuki's Facebook page."

The two glanced at each other before ending in unison, "Or both."

Before Light knew it, an agile panda was attacking him from behind. Misa cried out and attempted to save Light, only making him run away from her once again. Akari resumed her fight with Aizawa, and Beyond continued to harass Matsuda.

As I watched this all play out in astonishment, Watari made his way down the steps and approached me with his usual elegant presence. "Yuki, would you mind accompanying me to more tea in the next room?"

I smiled at the elder's outstretched hand and gracefully took it, squeezing it kindly. You know, I wouldn't mind getting to know L's father figure a bit more. Silently we strolled out of the chaotic room, leaving behind the dilemma I would probably have to resolve myself sooner or later.

But that could wait.

* * *

 _Professor Nikaido and Maki - L: Change the WorLd, novel and live-action film (so far I have only read the novel)_


	22. Hidden Behind Our Eyes

_Okay, I'm gonna tell you all right now that I have no idea how this story is ending. Don't get worried; I will finish it, but right now I'm going chapter by chapter. I've got something inevitable planned: DEATH. *cue creepy music* Let's remember, this is Death Note we're dealing with so…_

 _Still, I hope those of you dedicated to this story will enjoy what I have planned. )_

* * *

 **October**

It seems my prediction has come true. Months later and we've still got nothing. We're clearly at a low point in the case, just watching people die. It seems that now Kira has switched gears, some of his killings involving businessmen.

During this hiatus of leads/information, I decided to pursue more pressing matters in my life. For instance, I reluctantly transported from the campus of To-Oh in exchange for the delight of the online classes. In fact, I was able to catch up on the assignments I'd missed _and_ got a head start on my future work. Working at a steady rate, adding in if we get a big lead, I should be able to graduate early. Same goes for Akari.

Resuming where everything begins to take action, I start off on Friday, October 5th. Since the weather wasn't too pleasurably warm, I wore a white and light blue striped sweater with jeans.

It wasn't lunch yet so I was surviving on my half cup of coffee, sprawled out on my bed digging deep into my work. Around midnight last night I had finished a couple weeks worth of school work, maybe even more than that. After an hour nap, I found myself back at the computer, almost like I was drawn there.

It wasn't until I had finished season three of The Following (great show by the way) on Netflix when I finally cracked down on my research, even whipping out my personal reading glasses. By early this morning I went through the names of the victims, checking into their backgrounds. Soon I made a list of all the CEOs who died of heart attacks. It wasn't a coincidence that one business group, Yotsuba, rose to the top.

My hypothesis: Kira had to be in favor of them. Or among them.

With my thin folder of collected information under my arm, I rolled myself off the bed and shuffled out of the room, coffee cup still in my left hand. It had been a long night, but thankfully I wasn't dysfunctionally tired yet.

As I casually made my way down the stairs, a distinct voice rose louder with anger: Aizawa. _Oh great_ I thought. _He's in one of his moods again._

When the main floor was fully revealed, I gazed down at the scene to see L perched in his chair with his back facing everyone, and Light was right by him but standing instead. I was sure Akari and Beyond were on the couch under me, watching silently as the scene unfolded. The four remaining NPA members were standing in the middle of the room engaged in a conversation.

Matsuda's face expressed concern; my first guess was that he had been attempting to cool off the hotheaded officer in front of him. Aizawa, standing five feet away, looked as if he had just discovered that his wife had been cheating on him with his best friend (I'd seen way too much tv).

Then, that sentence. One that still draws confusion and shock from my heart. "I've always hated Ryuzaki," he growled with a deep anger. "I hate him and his way of doing things!"

The afro-tastic Task Force member turned and walked toward the door, fed up with the conversation. Though, I will say he would've made an awesome exit scene if I hadn't have stopped him.

Hurling myself in his direct path, the folder slipped out from under my arm and the coffee cup dropped from my hand, making a small puddle on the floor where it landed. All of the men, including my two friends on the furniture, either gasped or snapped their head in my direction.

All except L who remained motionless in front of the computer screen.

Ignoring the mess I had made, I straightened myself in front of the enraged man, lightly shoving my reading glasses up the bridge of my nose. My red eyes met with his dark brown, fiery orbs.

"Where are you going?" I asked, completely unaware of why everything had escalated so rapidly. What had I missed that was so important?

For the first time since we'd met, Aizawa's brooding eyes softened slightly on my worried face. It was obvious that we hadn't always seen eye to eye, but he was my team member. "I'm leaving," he told me, keeping his hardened tone. "I suggest you do the same."

The last part of the sentence immediately got L's attention. Like gravity it pulled him out of his chair to stand (slouch) right beside Light. "Yuki has already made the decision to stay here Mr. Aizawa. I would advise you to exit quickly if you are planning to do so."

With only a scoff as an acknowledgement to the detective, Aizawa continued to coax me into leaving while I stared at him with wide, confused eyes. "Listen Yuki, you don't belong here. A young woman like you should be exploring the possibilities of the future, not tracking down a mass murderer for who knows how long. I know you can't see it, but Ryuzaki's only using you until he finds Kira. After that, he'll forget all about you and move on. That's just the kind of person he is."

My mind was going insane, scrambling to piece together what Aizawa was trying to tell me. _He wants me to leave? That means he might actually care for me. But then why is he trying to make L sound like a jerk?_ My mouth moved as I searched for the right words, but nothing came out. _There's no way I'm leaving L. Especially not now. I've come so far. This entire case started off as a curiosity, but now it's personal._

Finally, L had enough. In long, swift strides, the detective halted inches behind Aizawa, a dark aura surrounding him, one not often shown, but admittedly seductive. Aizawa was attempting to turn me against L, and for the detective's sake, he couldn't have anyone degrading him and his reputation.

"I have held my tongue thus far, but you seem to have no end." His eyes narrowed as he spoke, voice sharp and threatening. I noticed Aizawa stiffen. "Though I may be sympathetic of your departure, I cannot allow you to sully my honor, not only as a detective but as a... _friend_. I can promise you that Yuki will be safe in my presence because I will not let anything happen to her, nor will I forget her. Now if you will, please be on your way: that was not a request, but an order."

Seemingly shocked at L's reply, Aizawa took one last regretful look at my face before clenching his fists and marching past me, stepping over the folder and spilled coffee.

There was a moment of absolute silence after the door slammed shut, no one wanting to move. My confused eyes soon found L's reassuring ones as we gazed at each other. If eyes could speak, mine would have told L that I wasn't leaving anytime soon.

Eventually a restrained cough came from Mr. Yagami as he stood awkwardly aside, avoiding the previous conflict. Snapping back into reality, I was reminded of the spilt coffee and gasped.

Matsuda quickly came to my aid, wiping up the mess, while I picked up the folder, hoping to temporarily forget what just happened. "So, um, moving on…" Handing over the tan folder to L, I subconsciously tugged on my silver braid while speaking. "It's not a lot, probably not even that helpful, but it's a list of CEOs who have died from heart attacks. Because of their deaths one certain company has risen significantly: Yotsuba."

L lifted his head from the now opened folder to barely flash an unnoticeable smile at me, proud eyes meeting my meek ones. "I am thoroughly impressed by your effort Yuki." I grinned happily as he shuffled back to the desk where Light stood, dropping the folder next to the computer before returning to his perch on the chair. "It is no coincidence that Light came up with the same conclusion about Yotsuba. Your deductive skills are as sharp as ever I see."

I kept my proud smile, but deep inside I sighed. _Dang it, Light beat me to it!_

The more days that passed, the further we got into the investigation. Light and I continued to find more dead businessmen while Mr. Yagami noted how they all died on weekends. Mogi compiled a list of the thousands of Yotsuba group's employees which was very useful.

Feeling kinda bad for Matsuda, I dubbed him our personally coffee retriever. That wasn't such a bad position, right?

* * *

 **October 10th**

"Uh, Ryuzaki…?" Akari's questioning voice rose over the work of the team. Light and I looked around to see two guests sitting on the couch across from Beyond and Akari.

"They," L said without even turning around, "are our two guests. Matsuda, would you mind fetching us all another cup of coffee? We have much to discuss." The rookie's shoulders slumped in disappointment.

"Hold on a sec," Light began, now realizing their presence with caution. "Who let them in?" Beyond and Akari stared at them from the other green couch, inspecting the man and woman curiously.

"Those two are the newest members of the Task Force," L revealed. At the introduction, both adults stood and walked over to us. The familiar sensation in my eyes returned to me, lighting up as the two faces were revealed to me. The man - _Tierry Morrello_. The woman - _Merrie Kenwood_ \- and though she was wearing glasses, I could still see half her face.

"The name's Aiber," the shaggy, blond haired male announced, obviously using his alias. His voice was low and smooth, probably popular among the ladies. Not to mention his dashing good looks. It wouldn't surprise me if he had a family of his own. "I'm a con-man. How's it going?" _Wait, con-man?_

"I'm Wedy," the fashionable blonde spoke, cunning and cold at the same time. She had a curvy, model-like figure, and somewhat resembled a professional spy. "And I'm a thief by trade." _Thief?_

Mr. Yagami scanned them suspiciously, obviously not willing to trust the two as far as he could throw them. "Ah, a con-man and a thief." Doubt was an obvious element here, no one exactly excited to be working with criminals. Then again, our choices were beginning to limit the further we advanced in the Kira case.

L explained that Aiber would be valuable for infiltration into the Yotsuba group, being able to befriend anyone with his type of social skill and likeness. Wedy specialized in cracking high-tech security systems, which explained how she got in here.

Naturally, a (former) police chief wouldn't dare expect to cooperate with two expert criminals. Even I was hesitant at first. To investigate Yotsuba we would need the aid of people like them, as Light helpfully pointed out.

"Wait a second…" The red haired future detective slithered over to us from the couch, eyeing Wedy with a thoughtful eyebrow. "So, you've never been caught, right?"

Wedy gave a curt nod to Akari, casually adjusting her black and white jacket. "That's right. I've adeptly flown under the radar of law enforcement numerous times."

The eyes of my best friend lit up with one-sided admiration and regard. "Honestly, that's incredible! You yourself are proof that women are more efficient than men, even at being criminals."

Light rolled his eyes, silently wishing to debate her over their opinions, but rejecting it. Wedy just smirked, a hint of fondness toward the redhead. "I like the way you think."

Beyond strolled over to Aiber and silently examined the powerful man from the corner of his eyes. "So… does everyone fall under your charming spell? Seriously, does it work _that_ well?"

Aiber let out a short laugh before studying the young killer next to him. "How 'bout I teach you a thing or two about being a talented con-man?" My brother leaned forward with interest, already eager to take more steps into mastering his criminal side.

While everyone began conversing, L stood from his chair and slipped to my left side, lightly nudging me for my attention. I gave in, smiling at the cute detective while his dashing eyes swept over me.

"I must say," he spoke low enough for only me to hear, "the look suits you superbly."

"So you don't think the glasses are too much?" I asked, slightly kidding. "I was going for nerdy detective. Think I nailed it?"

His dark eyes gleamed as they stared into my soul. Suddenly I felt as if we were the only two people in the room. "You profoundly did so."

It was one of those rare moments I've had in the past year. Minus all the bad crap, losing my father, Kira destroying the world around me with fear- this was an extraordinarily rare moment of happiness. Things were finally looking up.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end. This was just the calm before the earthquake.

* * *

The day started off considerably well. With the introduction of Wedy and Aiber our team grew slightly, but still enough for us to press on. I resumed my work on my personal laptop. L was on my right, taking a break from his research by consuming yet another piece of cake, and Mogi sat on the left with Mr. Yagami hovering over him.

As I glanced past him, I noticed Light deep in thought. I would have assumed he was staring at me, or at L, but there was something hidden behind his eyes. Questions swarming through his brain as he tried to piece together some sort of puzzle in that intelligent brain of his.

The blank look in his brown eyes paralleled with his body language and the way he rested his fist against his cheek with an aimless look on his face. You could barely tell he was breathing with his stone faced expression.

"What's wrong?" L spoke up before I could interject, lifting his head to examine the boy with slight curiosity, though you could barely tell. "You've been staring at me for the past two minutes. Wait, let me guess, you must be annoyed that I am the only one eating cake at the moment, am I right?"

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. _Only you would make that assumption, L._ Light denied quickly, and even rejected L's offer for a bite of it, which I gladly would have accepted.

Pushing myself away from the table, I popped out from behind L to reveal myself to Light, our eyes soon making contact. "You sure you're okay?" I asked him, not bothering to hide my concern.

A soft smiled graced his lips as he gave me a reassuring nod. "I'm fine, Yuki, but thanks for asking." In return, I flashed a grin and resumed to my work.

Watari's letter appeared on the screen, alerting us that Eraldo Coil had received a request to investigate and discover the true identity of L. Turned out, the person who requested was apart of the Yotsuba group, only strengthening our case against them.

As the remaining members of our team, including my two best friends, discussed Eraldo Coil, my phone buzzed from inside my jean pocket. Since L had confided in me far earlier that the three greatest detectives in the world were all him, I didn't need to stick around to hear the next part.

Slipping out of the formed group, I paced over to the other side of the room before answering the call. "Hello?" Usually I never answered an unknown caller, but these days I was more open minded.

A mid-ranged voice spoke briskly on the other side with a heavy amount of desperation. "Is this Kaiyo Akamine?" Kaiyo Akamine was my public pseudonym, my only alias.

How did this guy get my number anyways? "Uh, yes, this is her. Who's calling?"

A breath of relief came from the other end the moment I said yes. "Oh thank goodness! I'm the assistant director for the movie Misa Amane is currently shooting - she listed you as her second contact on the form we gave her. I've been trying to call her manager, but he won't pick up!"

 _Matsuda? I thought he was supposed to be there with her. And why the heck would she list me as a second contact?!_ "Alright. What's going on?"

"Ms. Amane is, um, well, she's not fully cooperating as much as we'd hoped." _Oh great._ "We assumed that her manager would be able to ease her, um, feelings about it, but unfortunately he's not around."

 _What? Misa, Matsuda, what the heck are you guys doing?_ "Let me talk to her." As firm as my voice sounded over the phone, inside my emotions started whirling into a mini tornado.

"Uh, hello?" The blonde sounded a mix of annoyed and confused. The assistant director must've just shoved the phone into her face without giving her a chance to ask.

"Tell me what's going on," I demanded in a low, harsh voice, glancing over my shoulder to make sure I wasn't drawing any attention. The last thing we needed was Misa Amane to cause an interruption, especially now when we were getting closer to finding Kira.

"Yu- I mean, Kaiyo!" Beforehand I had reminded her the importance of calling me, and all of us at HQ, by our aliases. "What do you mean 'what's going on'? Everything's fine."

Knowing Misa, she was too ignorant to see her own flaws. "Really? Then why is the assistant director calling me? Where the heck is Matsuda?!" Caught up in the slight anger, my voice rose slightly at the last part, catching the attention of L, Akari, and Light who glanced curiously in my direction.

Misa sighed with boredom on the other side. "Oh, well, I think the director is upset that I won't kiss that Hideki guy or something. They say it's just acting, but I don't care! I can't kiss anyone other than Light!"

The girl's pouty voice and noncooperation only increased my headache. "Look," I replied with gritted teeth, "just do what the director says, okay? Light won't be angry, then we can put this whole thing behind us." Before she could protest, I added, "Now Misa, where is Matsuda?"

When she didn't give me an answer right away, I realized that she must've been looking around for him, scanning the crowd to find the lost puppy. Finally, I heard her confused voice. "I don't know. He's not here. I think I heard someone say he just took off."

Pushing my own confusion aside for a moment, I calmly told Misa that if she didn't do what she was supposed to do, I would personally come down to the set and strangle her with my bare hands.

Ending the call, I returned to the others, frustrated and still having a headache. L adverted his focus to me, noticing my different attitude. "Is everything alright?" he questioned, a slight hint of worry in his voice. _Aw, is he worried about me?_

Shaking my head, my fingers massaged my temples soothingly. "It's Matsuda."

On cue, an alert came from L's screen; Watari was calling. "Ryuzaki. I have just received an emergency signal from Matsuda's belt. It seems it is coming from the head office of the Yotsuba group."

It was all on our minds as we sighed, realizing what the rookie got himself into. L plucked the words right out of our thoughts as he spoke. _Matsuda, you idiot._


	23. Death Is My Curse

_Read it and weep._

* * *

The dial tone rung annoyingly in my right ear as I held my breath, praying that Matsuda would pick up. _I don't want to do this._ The amused looks from Beyond and Akari made me replay the previous conversation I had with L.

" _Call Matsuda and see if you can get any information out of him, preferably if he is alone or in danger."_

 _I frowned. "How do I do that without drawing suspicion? If there's anyone else in the room, won't they know something's up?"_

 _A flicker of amusement flashed across the detective's eyes as he held the phone toward me between the tips of his fingers. "Simple: pretend to be his girlfriend."_ I was surprised L would suggest something like that, but then I assumed he knew me well enough to deduct I had no romantic feelings for the naive rookie.

"Hello?" Matsuda's seemingly calm voice finally spoke after an eternity of endless ringing. I restrained a sigh of relief, glad to know they weren't torturing information out of him. Most likely they thought he was a spy at first.

L gave me a quick nod, a gesture for me to speak. "Matsui!" Instantly my voice was flooded with exaggerated relief and annoyance. "You told me you were gonna call me when you were on your next break but I haven't gotten a single text!" Using Misa as an example, I attempted to pull off the over-dramatic girly voice for effect.

"Oh, h-hey Kaiyo!" Thankfully Matsuda seemed to get the message by my acting voice. Clearly I would never sound _that_ dramatic. "Sorry I didn't call you. I kinda got busy with my work and all…" He gave a nervous laugh at the end.

This is the part that would definitely throw him off. "Too busy to call your own girlfriend?" I swear I heard him gulp on the other end. "Jeez, you can be a real dork sometimes, you know?" I laughed it off like it was nothing, but if it were real I totally would've chewed him out. "So, you done yet?"

"Uh, sort of…"

Not giving him a chance to stutter, I cut in quickly. "By yourself or is Misa still with you? If she is, tell her I said _Bonjour_!"

I bit my lip, hoping he was smart enough to know what was going on. Or maybe Misa was there and this whole thing was an accident. Hey, maybe there's not actually a chance he could've just screwed up our whole operation. "Yeah, I'm by myself now. What are you up to?"

Pressing my hand over the speaker and pulling the phone momentarily away from me, I turned to L (perching) and Light (standing). " _He says he's not with Misa,"_ I reported in a whisper. " _But it's obvious someone else is with him."_ The way his voice sounded was so automatic and… _nervous_.

Immediately I answered back to Matsuda in a suddenly sweet, seductive voice that was bound to make him blush. "Well, _babe_ , I was hoping you and I could go out tonight. You know, go to the movies. We can get a seat in the very back, just the two of us _alone_ , where it's _dark_ …"

I glanced to my right to see L's eyes narrowing - karma is hopefully biting him in the butt for suggesting this - a tint of blush on Light's cheeks, and my two friends about to bust out laughing. I wondered what the others behind me were thinking.

I would have paid to see the look on his face if I could've. "I-I, uh, d-do we have to do it _tonight_?" Stuttering like an idiot, his voice began to get high with nervousness, even though this was all fake. "S-Sorry, Kaiyo, I don't think it's a good night.."

Scoffing, I dropped the cutesy tone instantly. "Aw seriously? Let me guess, your credit card is _in trouble_ again? I told you not to waste money on that entire manga series!"

The slight relief in his voice indicated that he had picked up on the other hint. "Oh, yeah, _big trouble_ with money again. You know me and my manga collection! I promise I'll take you out some other night sweetie!"

 _Sweetie?_ I gagged, pulling away from the phone and turning back to the others. " _Uh, he's saying that he's in big trouble."_ Flashing a concerned look, I returned to the phone with fake disappointment. "Aw that sucks. Maybe I'll stop by your apartment tomorrow night and we can have some _fun_ there. -Oh, gotta go babe, my sister's calling me! See ya tomorrow!" I hung up before he could say anything else, then I handed the phone back to L.

Nearby, Light flipped his phone shut with irritation, letting out a deep breath to control his rising anger. "Misa's cell phone is on voicemail. I left her a message and told her to get back to me as soon as possible."

We were all gathered in a group around L's chair - Light, Akari, Beyond, Mr. Yagami, Mogi, Aiber, Wedy, and me - waiting for further instructions. When L declared that we should just wait it out, I stood up from my chair.

"We can't just sit here," I said, crossing my arms with frustration. It unnerved me to not know what was happening; anxiety built up in me whenever I was told to wait, whenever I wasn't able to do something. "The Yotsuba men are probably debating on whether or not to kill poor Matsuda right now. Yotsuba is a powerful company so who knows what they'll do to him if we don't intervene soon."

"What do you suggest we do?" asked Light. At first I assumed he was mocking me, challenging me to see if I actually had a plan. But his tone of voice was sincere, like he genuinely wanted to know.

I gave him my signature _I've-always-got-a-plan_ smile and took off my reading glasses, gently placing them on the table before reaching for my black over-sized hoodie and slipping it on. Yanking the hood over my braided silver hair, I spun around to the watchful others. "I'm going over to the shoot to get Misa. Remember, Matsuda's working as her manager so it's likely he's using the model as a cover. If that's true, then all we have to do is get Misa over there so they'll believe Matsuda. Easy as pie."

"I prefer cake," L muttered. I chose to roll my eyes.

"What are you gonna do?" questioned Akari, examining my mysterious outfit change. She knows me way too well. "Looks like you've got something else planned."

Flashing a cheeky smirk, I leaned against the table casually. "Aw, way to ruin my fun. It was supposed to be a surprise."

Light narrowed his eyes, growing protective all of a sudden. "Wait, were you actually gonna sneak into Yotsuba yourself? That's way too dangerous! There's no way I'm letting you do that." The old Light was probably worried about me personally. The new Light was worried that I'd blow our entire team's operation.

Waving his concern away with a dismissive hand, I simply shrugged. "Ah, but that's not for you to decide. Besides, it's not like I'm going in with a gun and a sign that says 'I'm a spy' so I think I'll be fine." When his expression didn't falter, I rolled my eyes. "What, don't you trust me?"

"Yuki." Mentally I sighed at L's stern voice. "Light is absolutely correct. It is too dangerous for you to go in alone."

I was about to protest when Beyond stepped forward, hands nonchalantly held behind his back. "I'll go in with her." This time Akari was the one to narrow her eyes. Beyond gave her a reassuring nudge in the arm. "Don't worry, I think I can handle it."

L looked blankly between my brother and I, realizing that I was going in either way. We both knew my eyes, along with Beyond's, were useful, but what he _doesn't_ know is that we can also see a person's lifespan.

I remembered the night I came to Light's house- when Kira was first developing- and, for the first time, I couldn't see his lifespan. Along came Misa Amane and I discovered that she was the same. Later they're _both_ suspected of being Kira and the second Kira by the world's greatest detective. Coincidence or not?

If Kira is working for Yotsuba then maybe he'll be there and I'll find him since he'll be the only one without a lifespan. Now, this isn't a confirmed fact, but I know that not seeing a lifespan and Kira are related. Somehow, I just knew it.

"Alright," my lovely detective finally concluded reluctantly. "All I ask is that you do not do anything drastic and dangerous that would get you noticed." Then, shuffling forward, he whispered something briskly into my brother's ear.

I was curious, yes, _extremely_ curious. Whatever the detective said caused Beyond to curl his lips into a satisfied, cocky smile. Akari and I shared suspicious looks as L turned away and returned to the chair. Even Light seemed curious, but the other members just brushed it off.

"Let's go." Linking arms with Beyond, I pulled him along as we exited the room.

When I left HQ that night, I was unreasonably happy. Maybe it was because L was finally trusting me to do missions on my own, or _somewhat_ on my own. Either way worked. Maybe it was because I just had that peppy attitude sometimes. Maybe it was because I was with my brother, and we were finally happy.

Whatever the reason, I left cheerful. The next time I returned, I would be devastated.

* * *

The sun had long set by the time we reached Misa's shoot. The shoot was engaged in a momentary break as the directors and producers discussed the next scene. Scanning the crowd, I winced as my eyes glided over numerous names, too many to recall, in search of the blonde.

From my side, Beyond nudged me and nodded to the left. Following his direction, I caught sight of a girl wearing an angel costume, white fluffy wings almost draping over her entire figure.

I rushed across the stone ground to catch up with Misa, lunging forward to grab onto her shoulder and give it a tight squeeze. With a small gasp, she spun around, face changing from annoyance to jubilance the instant she recognized me. "Kaiyo!" Slipping a glance to the boy beside me, she gave him a tentative smile. "Uh, Beyond, too! What are you guys doing here?"

I opened my mouth, ready to explain the plan of somehow rescuing Matsuda, when her work phone rang from her nearby coat pocket. Quickly retrieving it, she tilted her head at the number. "Huh, it's Matsu. Pff, what a jerk, disappearing like that!"

"Answer it," I ordered, immediately pulling out my phone and dialing Light's number. When he answered, I spoke briskly, "Just shut up and listen for a sec."

Immediately following, Misa flipped open her phone and, almost automatically, Matsuda's voice spoke. I was swift to hold the phones close by so everyone could hear. "Misa Misa! When you're done filming, come over to the Yotsuba group head office. It's still tentative, but there's a chance you may be able to appear in Yotsuba's commercials! We're working it out now."

I held back a sigh of relief from within. _Thank goodness… he sounds safe. Unhurt, at the least._ After what happened with Ukita a while back, I've always been protective of the Task Force team. That day was another brush with death - Ukita and my father both leaving this earth - and I hated not being able to do anything. We were down one team member that day, and I swore I'd never let that happen again.

Briefly closing the door to my thoughts, I waited until Misa hung up her phone to begin talking on mine. "Light, Ryuzaki… what's the plan?"

As they hastily considered the strategy with one another on the other line, I turned to Beyond and pulled the hoodie down more to conceal my forehead. "You know what we're looking for, right?" He silently nodded, a look of mischief and yearning adrenaline flashing across his matching red eyes. No one else, besides Akari, knew we could see anyone's life span.

Like any normal person, I have secrets. If someone knew my secrets, that meant they were close to me. My red eyes, my father, the death of my mother… Akari and Beyond (after I filled him in about our mother) were the only people who knew everything about that. In all honestly, Akari probably knows everything about me. I never wanted to let anyone else in because I was afraid. I knew my eyes were a curse. They brought death. No one could get close to me, no matter how much I desired them to.

I took a look at myself from a year ago and compared it to who I was in the present, and look at me! Suddenly I'm meeting all new people, forming an amazing investigation team, harboring feelings for a mysterious detective… I never would have expected my life to come to this.

L… _L. The world's greatest detective._ He also knew about my eyes. I mean, I've always had high school crushes, like literally every hormonal teenager, but never did I think I'd start getting _legit feelings_ for a guy, and be close enough to tell him one of my most precious secrets. Someday soon, if I could muster up the courage, I'd tell him everything. Someday.

When Light and L finished discussing the scheme to Misa, Beyond, and I, we all went our separate ways, my brother and I slithering away to conduct our original project of espionage.

While Beyond and I are snooping around, Misa will go to the Yotsuba head office and meet Matsuda. From there they will hold a special party along with other girls to entertain the men. Though Matsuda hasn't been filled in yet, he will then pretend to be highly intoxicated, climb on the balcony railing, and slip off, falling to his impending death. Or at least that is what the Yotsuba men should infer.

Hopefully everything would go according to plan.

It was fairly easy sneaking past outside security and entering the Yotsuba building. As long as we watched our backs and made cautious moves, we weren't seen. Briefly we would pass businessmen in suits, usually in pairs, who would continue to chat as they walked by us, not even attempting to glance our way.

Both of us would act normal as they approached, but would secretly catch a glimpse of the area above their head. Upon seeing their real name _and_ lifespan, we would unsuspectingly move on.

After almost a half hour of walking around and doing this same operation, and coming up empty handed, I was ready to give up and call it another consecutive work day.

My brother, noticing my lack of motivation, stopped us in the middle of the hall and faced the floor, eyes lowering in thought. "What's wrong?" I questioned gently, wondering if he, too, was ready to call this Kira search quits.

A nostalgic smile came to his pale face. I say nostalgic because of what he said next. "I've had an amazing year, you know?" Rolling my eyes, I secretly prayed he wasn't going to get all mushy at a time like this, in the middle of a secret mission. "I mean, LA was great and all, but coming here and reuniting with you and Akari, and L, was truly… entertaining."

Deciding to humor this little moment we were sharing, I crossed my arms. "Alright… favorite part out of the whole year?"

"Don't make me choose," he whined, elbowing me playfully. "But if I'm going to… I'd have to say eating all that jam." As I glared at him, his face was deadpan for a second before turning into a cocky smirk. "Be honest, I'm hilarious."

"Uh-huh, a real wisecrack."

"Seriously though." Suddenly his face softened, a wave of unknown affection glistening mysteriously. "You and Akari have made my time here the best time of my life. I'll never forget that. And meeting Dad… " He trailed off, letting the unique memory of our father fade away before speaking again. "You know, I've counted this experience as a trip of self discovery."

My inside fluttered with hope at his words. For awhile, I had been contemplating what he'll do after the Kira case: if he chose to stay here, or go wherever L permits him to. Everything in my power wants him to stay here, with Akari and me, so we can be a family. A real family.

I smiled, but tried to hide my hopefulness. "So what have you discovered, oh dear brother?" I waited for him to answer, but he didn't. My smile faltered as I stared into the abyss of his blood red eyes, looking for an answer as his face remained the same.

Then, I saw it.

 _No…_

I blinked once, thinking I had just imagined it.

 _No, no…_

That familiar look was there, in his eyes. The one I had always feared.

 _Please God, no…_

Ever so slowly, the corners of his lips rose into a sadistic smirk, eyes scanning my face, amused by my reaction. I could see it in his eyes. His blood red eyes. His cursed eyes.

"I love you sis," he said, genuine and soft voice. "I love Akari, too."

"Beyond…" I trailed off warningly, hoping he wouldn't do this. That look. It's the same look he had on the last night we saw him in LA. The same one Dad use to have.

"But I've discovered something." His hands slithered up the side of his jeans and into his pocket for something to grab. "We both know what Dad did to Mom. And we both know that I'm Dad's son." That's not the first time Beyond has solemnly reminded me. He's Dad's son. I'm Mom's daughter. "As much as I enjoy having a real family, we know fate won't let me be happy."

Before I realized it, a pocket knife had entered his palm and was clutched tightly in his hand. He stood still, just staring at it thoughtfully as he spoke to me. "I'm a killer because I was born the son of a broken man. I can't hide that fact no matter how much I want to, and trust me, I really want to. But there's this yearning, this _passion_ , inside of me to kill." I gulped, hands clenching into a fearful fist. Just the way he said it sounded so… normal to him. "It's a bloodlust, really, something I can't control. I've trapped it in a cage for so long, but now it's trying to break free and I'm not certain I can stop it."

"Control it Beyond," I begged. I wanted to hug him, hold him, but my feet, and sanity, wouldn't let me move any closer. "You're not Dad, you can fight it. Fight it and stay with Akari and me. We care about you, B."

Tilting his head up, he flashed a sad, longing smile to me. I know he wanted to. All he ever wanted was to be normal, and I felt the same. But we aren't normal. We are cursed. "I'm sorry Yuki. You and I both know I won't get a happy ending."

This time I actually did step forward, ready to snatch the knife away and somehow stop him from giving into the feelings, but I wasn't able to. Suddenly two men in grey suits turned the sharp corner and stopped in their tracks.

At first I wondered why they hadn't just passed us. Was it Beyond's knife that threw them off? Then I realized that the man on the left stiffened with slight caution. "Hey, this floor is restricted to visitors. Who the heck let you two up here?"

"Wait a sec," the one on the right spoke up roughly, tightening the grip on his briefcase. "I've seen you" pointing to Beyond "in the news. You're that psycho guy from America. The one who killed three people, and almost himself. Why are you-"

Everything was frozen as we stared at each other in an intense battle. Automatically my eyes flickered to their names. The short man on the left, thick curly brown hair, gruff face, brown eyes: _Shiba Akatsuka._ The tall man on the right, neatly trimmed blond hair and thin black glasses: _Taji Itoh._

Their presence wasn't, though it should've been, what shocked me the most. It was the fact that both men were supposed to die almost immediately. Both their numbers decreased the longer we stared at them.

Beyond knew he had been caught. Raising the knife, he inched forward, ready to attack. "Don't you dare," I warned, knowing full well that he _would_. "Please B."

The man on the left, Shiba, was light on his feet, dashing forward to swing his briefcase at my brother, knocking him to the floor. "Itoh, go get the others! We've got trespassers!"

 _No!_ I mentally shouted, not wanting our cover to be blown even further. Leaping forward, I jumped onto Itoh's back, wrapping my arms around his neck and tugging him back. Assuming that I was trying to strangle him, the man shoved me against the wall, making me let out a cry of pain.

Beyond instantly snapped his head up as both men went to grab me harshly as I tried to escape. This definitely wasn't going as planned.

In my efforts to escape the barbarous hold of the men, I was completely caught off guard when Shiba let out a shout of anguish at the same time a piercing sound echoed through the corridor.

Itoh and I gasped in horror as Shiba dropped to the ground, seemingly lifeless and bleeding. Beyond stood behind him, knife dripping with fresh blood. The conclusion was blurry in my mind; I didn't want to believe that my brother had just stabbed him.

Soon it became more clear. With Itoh and I standing in fear, Beyond hovered over Shiba as he bled out, and raised the knife high. A look of adrenaline and excitement were the only thing I could sense in his eyes; no guilt, no remorse.

To this day, the image is still vividly etched into my brain. Beyond powerfully bringing the knife down, continuously jabbing it into Shiba's chest. His maniacal laughter and crazed eyes overtook over my vision as I watched him repeatedly stab the man. Blood spattered on his grey sweatshirt, and also on Itoh and me. "Kyhaahaahaa!"

Almost immediately after Beyond's tenth stab, Itoh finally came to his senses and, before I could stop him, whacked Beyond in the head with the briefcase. When he did so, I made a move to tackle him, but the man was quick enough to smack me, too, on the side of my head.

My vision jolted as I tumbled to the ground, head aching violently, eyes burning, heart pounding. Pain rushed through my body as I laid on the floor, struggling to get up. Lifting my head, I watched in absolute terror as Itoh grabbed the knife that had fallen from Beyond's hand and stood over the killer who was laying on his back.

My heart stopped as Itoh connected the tip of the knife with Beyond's stomach. Twice. Three times. Itoh stabbed Beyond three times before I lunged myself at the man with everything I had - mix of rage, rancor, pain, and fear.

When Itoh was on the ground, I did the unthinkable.

I picked up the knife, the blood cascading onto my hand, and took a deep breath...

Then, I stabbed the man. In the neck. Thankfully I had the sense to close my eyes before I could see it happen, but I could feel the blade piercing the skin, and hear his last, suffering cry of pain before the life faded out of him.

My eyes closed, I breathed heavily. When nothing happened for a moment, I opened my eyes and got off Itoh, purposely avoiding his facial area, and instantly moved to my brother.

 _Thank God_ I thought. He wasn't dead, yet. But his numbers kept falling down rapidly.

"B-Beyond," I stuttered a cry of heartache and dread, seeing him bleed out. I felt helpless, knowing he was going to die. Sitting next to his right side, I cupped his face as tears rolled down mine. The liveliness in his orbs was draining away as he stared up at me with dejection. "You-you're such a moron." Biting my lip, I held back tears of grief, making myself be strong. "Come on, let's get you up and out of here. W-We need to go now."

I attempted to pull him up, but he only shoved me away weakly. "Stop it Yuki.. I can't.. It hurts." Beyond gave a bitter laugh and blood spit out of his mouth. "That was fun, don't you think?"

I wanted to slap him, chastise him for everything he just did. Everything I just did. But I couldn't be mad. Not now. My lips quivered as I tried to smile. "I can't be angry at you B.. I love you too much."

He shook his head slowly, wincing at the sudden pain. "Don't get mushy on me now… You're supposed to save that for my funeral." That time I did smack him, hot tears streaking down my face. As I looked in his eyes, I saw love. Love and regret.

"Look Beyond, you're gonna be fine," I weakly assured him, looking around us to make sure no one was coming. "I'll just call L and-"

"L can't save me," he said, but it came out as more of a whisper. "No one can. I'm dying Yuki so stop trying to pretend that everything's okay. If you don't leave now then you're as good as dead, too."

On cue, loud voices were heard down the hall heading straight towards us. Soon they'd find us and- "I can't leave you," I shook my head, unwilling to think about it. "I'm staying right by your side."

"You'll be an idiot if you do."

"I'm already an idiot."

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Beyond held back a single tear that was forming in his eye. I knew he wouldn't let me see him cry. "It's funny… L specifically told me to keep you safe, no matter what the cost." _So that's what he whispered to B back there…_ "It seems like I've done just the opposite. You even killed a-"

"Shut up," I snapped out of pain and guilt. "Just shut and and let me pull you. We can get down the hall and hide in a closet or something." I searched around frantically, but the voices coming closer made it hard to concentrate.

"Go," he urged, pain streaking his face. "Tell Akari that I… I love her. Tell L that I bought him a jam costume for Halloween. I love you Yuki." His finally words hurt so much, I couldn't bear to hear them.

"I love you too," I smiled bitterly. Moving a hand across his black bangs, I gently kissed his forehead. "Beyond, I-"

"Go," he urged again as shadows appeared on the wall. When I didn't move, he said louder, "GO!" Closing my eyes, I stood up and sprinted to the other end of the hall. Just as my body turned the corner and pressed up against the wall, the voices echoed in the hallway.

"Hey! Somebody call an ambulance!" Men shuffled into the hall, but thankfully stopped at the middle where the scene was. "D****t! It's a bloody gangbang!"

I pressed my hand up against my mouth to suppress the cries of agony and grief coming from my broken heart. My brother was dead- dying- and I couldn't save him. I had lost the last of my family members.

That was the story of my life. Death was my curse.

"Don't call the ambulance!" someone contradicted. "They're all dead anyways. What good would it be now? Most importantly, we don't want the press to get a hold of this or we'll be done for. If they found out we let a killer somehow get into the building, the news will eat us alive. That won't be good for business." _That's all they care about? Their business?!_

"We have to inform the families," someone decided. "I'm sure they'll want the bodies."

"What do we tell them?" one man questioned.

"The truth. Someone broke in and killed them. We'll just make sure none of this reaches the public."

"What do we do with the other guy then? Like you said, if the media finds out-"

"They won't find out. We'll put him in the dumpster for now, let him bleed to death, then take him somewhere else later."

"Why the dumpster?"

"We don't have time to do anything right now. We've got clients waiting and if _they_ found out about _this_ then business would go down for sure."

I didn't wait to hear any more. My feet darted down the next hall and searched for an exit. Tears stained my face, my hand still pressed against my mouth to control my sobbing. Not caring if anyone saw me, I dashed across the lobby and out the front doors.

* * *

I only made it halfway to HQ before I collapsed in the middle of the stone path where anyone could see me. I didn't care though. The thought of my brother, laying there bleeding to _death_ caused me to cry. Not loudly, but silently, with even more tears.

I cried longer than ever before. Not when my mother was killed. Not when my dad died. Beyond Birthday… my brother… had just been killed. Fate would argue that it's a fair trade. He reaped what he sowed.

None of this would have happened if it weren't for Kira. If the mass murderer never came about, Beyond would still be in prison, but at least alive. The world wouldn't be in fear. I wouldn't be in this situation, searching for the infamous murderer, and Beyond wouldn't be dead. I wouldn't have had to use my eyes for the case. Light would still be normal to me. The Task Force would have one more member.

I never would have let myself get close to a certain detective. In my eyes, it was only a matter of time before my death curse caught up to him. It's written in my history; anyone I care about ends up dying. It had taken Akari several heated debates before I let her get so close; she knew what she was getting into. But L? He didn't need this, he didn't need me to slow him down. That extraordinary detective deserved so much better.

I was sitting on the stone path, criss cross, wet face in my hands, bawling, when rapid footsteps approached, and the voice of my best friend echoed the night. "Yuki? What are you doing out here? And where's Beyond?"

Lifting my head weakly, I let her see my despaired face so I wouldn't have to say it. It hurt to much to say it. Her face dropped in dread, the realization coming to her as she noticed the smeared blood on my face and clothes.

Lowering to her knees right in front of me, she stared, paralyzed, into my pained eyes, misery sketched on her face. "Yuki… tell me Beyond is alright." Shaking my head frantically, I still couldn't speak. "No.. No." She was obviously livid, hands clenched into a fist. "What… how did this… no, stop screwing around."

"Beyond is…" I searched for the right words to explain, but I found none. Only a sorrowful expression. The tears finally ceased, but that wouldn't last for long.

"He's… he's gone?" Her words were hollow, face pale. I nodded, hoping she wouldn't get furious and blame me or something. Instead of fury came disbelief. It took her a minute before the realization sunk in. When it did, tears formed in her eyes.

That night, we sat together on the stone path, arms wrapped comfortingly around each other, mourning the loss of our beloved friend. My brother. Her boyfriend. Beyond Birthday.

* * *

 _o_o_

 _Don't worry, there is still much more to this story that will keep you reading. Buckle up because it's not over yet. Crap, I think this is the longest chapter yet!_


	24. Don't Leave Me Alone

_Oh my gosh, I loved the reviews for the last chapter! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed and favored/followed this story - you guys make me so happy ~ !_

 _Sorry it's been awhile! Forgive me - here's the long awaited chapter! :D_

 _Disclaimer: Don't own Death Note, only my lovely OCs ~_

* * *

 **October 11th (very early morning)**

We were on the bridge, hands squeezing tightly together, gazing at the moon-lit water below. Stars sprinkled the night sky, the full moon ominously hanging high above us, almost like it was just watching us as we sat on the metal railing, our legs dangling off the side.

Akari's breaths were shaky, strained with emotional rage and grief. The last memories of her boyfriend were most likely replaying in her head to keep her from breaking down at the thought of him actually dead.

I, on the other hand, witnessed the entire thing happen. Something like that… it's too traumatizing to forget. Especially when it's your own brother. The last person in my family I had left and… now he's gone.

All because of Kira. This whole thing started because of one person's twisted view of justice. Whoever he was, _wherever_ he was, he deserved what was coming to him. L would find him and eliminate that SOB.

The thought of somebody else catching him though… it disgruntled me. The glory and praise of capturing the world's worst mass murderer didn't strike me as pleasing. To me, glory and fame didn't matter anymore.

 _I_ wanted to be the one to stick a bullet straight through that bastard's head. Extreme? Like I said, he deserved it. After all the pain and trouble he's caused to the people around me, Kira wouldn't get his version of a happy ending.

A gust of the chilly October wind hit me like a tidal wave. I shivered, shoving my left hand into my sweater pocket while the other squeezed tighter to Akari's. Turning my head, I saw Akari's expression hadn't changed: her eyes were lost in deep thought, face remaining a hollow force field to mask her depressing state of mind.

I returned my gaze back to the water with a sigh. _Was all of this worth it anymore?_ My parents were dead, my brother was dead, Akari was grieving… Did I have anyone else to live for?

My career was already simple enough: finish college then become a detective, possibly an intern first. After that it was steady sailing, but… was there anything more?

"I'm tired," my best friend whispered, voice slightly hoarse from crying earlier. We had never went back to everyone else. We couldn't. "Tired of crying, tired of trying, tired of thinking, tired of fighting… tired of losing."

Our sad gazes met and I could see the fear in her eyes. Fear of the future. Fear of what's to come. Dropping my head to stare at the water far below us, I closed my eyes.

Saying that I never thought of suicide would be lying. After my mother died, after I discovered that my dad had killed her, I was terrified that he would do the same to me. Ultimately, I was terrified to want to keep on living with him, but that feeling barely lasted.

Even if I wanted to do it, I couldn't. No, I was always too scared. Ironic, huh? Believing I cause death, but too afraid to die myself. I left that contemplation up to logic: dying usually _hurts_. I didn't want to hurt more than I already did.

Still, parts of me continued to nag on. _Just slide off_ they whispered. _Akari will do it, too, so you have no one else to live for._ At that exact moment, I realized it for the first time: I _did_ have someone to live for. And he was waiting for me back at HQ.

"Then let's let someone else be tired," I suggested confidently, turning to look at the redhead on my right. "Kira deserves this, not us. I'm going to make him pay."

Her eyes widened at the realization of what my new mission was. "You're seriously going through with that?" Akari had always been the aggressive friend in our duo, and seeing me take a sudden dark turn must've surprised her.

I nodded, keeping our eye contact locked firmly. "Let him be the one to cry in suffering, to try too hard, to fight and end up losing." Spinning around, I swung my legs over the railing and hopped onto the bridge platform, gently tugging her along behind me. "We still have work to do."

* * *

I think I've screwed up the five stages of grief completely, starting backwards and skipping around. Acceptance was my first response, instead of last, since I was right there when Beyond was stabbed. Depression followed, absorbing into me that night on the path and on the bridge with Akari. Bargaining wasn't even an option for me, nor was denial.

That left anger, and, boy, was I angry. Angry at myself, angry at Kira… although, I may have been using my anger to hide the grief I had still left inside. Either way, I wasn't going to break down in front of everyone. Remain vigilant and strong, show no weakness!

…

But none of that actually held up when we arrived back at HQ. Stumbling through the doors to the main room, the first person I saw was L. L, who could almost qualify to be B if it wasn't for his spikier hair, obsidian eyes, clothes, and personality. Still… for a second, I saw B.

My eyes welled up with tears, head shaking. The pain, the memory- everything I had previously tried to block out- instantly came back to me, smacking me in the head like a boomerang.

I didn't bother to look around the room to see who else was there before the tears blurred my vision. Letting go of Akari's hand, I lowered myself to the ground and brought my knees as close to my chest as I could.

"Yuki?" Light's confused, worried voice filled my ears. "What's wrong? Akari, what happened?" I weakly lifted my head to see the redhead bury herself into Light's shirt as he approached with the detective.

L didn't hesitate to crouch in front of me and speak. "Yukimi… are you hurt? Where is your brother?"

"He's gone," Akari answered for me, peeking out from Light's shirt. He had his arms around her comfortingly, a little taken back by Akari's crying. Our eyes met as he studied me, but I had to look away.

"What happened?" the brunet asked again, this time in a more calm voice, trying to take control of the situation. When neither of us gave him a direct answer, he gave up and patiently waited.

After a moment, I wiped the tears from my eyes and returned my gaze to L. His dark eyes seemed to understand that something had happened, but they weren't nearly as concerned for my brother as they were for me.

 _Why would he care about me?_ I thought. _Hasn't my presence just screwed everything up and made things more confusing? Doesn't he understand I bring death wherever I go? How could a seemingly emotionless detective even a girl like me around anymore?_

Behind my contradictory thoughts, I knew the answers to my questions. I was starting to understand why I was here, with him and everyone else. Something was happening that neither of us could change, whether we were ready for it or not.

* * *

 **October 14th**

 **L's POV**

At precisely 4:13 a.m. on October 11th, Yuki mysteriously retreated to her room on the second floor, and I have not seen her since. She has not even ventured down to eat cake with me during the late hours of the night like we occasionally did before.

Three days later I find my daily thoughts are more than often about her (20% Kira case, 40% cake, 40% Yuki). _Yukimi Miyoshi._ The girl who blackmailed me into allowing her access to the Kira case. The sister of the late Beyond Birthday, infamous serial killer I managed to capture in LA. Daughter of an occasionally-unstable father with Dissociative Identity Disorder. The girl with the red eyes.

Two feet to my right, Light sighed, his chocolate eyes mindlessly scanning the computer screen. "This is absolutely tedious," he muttered, clicking off the screen and slightly spinning his chair to face me, hoping to discover a sliver of entertainment. "Has Wedy set up the security cameras yet?"

Taking the fork between my fingertips, I cut a small piece from the strawberry cake in front of me. "She is getting the equipment set up now. Do net fret, she will most likely complete the task sometime tonight." Taking a bite of the sugary dessert, I savored the delectable sensation in my mouth, longing for more. _If only every food tasted this sweet._

From the corner of my eye, I could tell Light resisted the urge to sigh again. His gaze wandered from me to the peak of the staircase that led to the second floor. I narrowed my eyes. _There is a 69% chance he is thinking about Yuki, and a 31% chance he is thinking about Akari._

"It's been three days since they disappeared up there," Light stated, his gaze turning soft with sympathy. "I hope they're alright. Has anybody went to check on them?"

"I trust Yuki to be alone with herself," I said, rather too quickly. Shifting in my seat, I plucked a crimson strawberry from the top of the cake and munched on it. "However, if you feel the need to do so, you may go check on her." Of course, by _you_ I clearly meant _we_.

He shrugged, spinning away from me to face the open area of the room. "Where did everyone go?" he asked, glancing around.

"Watari is out getting more cake, Aiber, Matsuda and Mr. Yagami are all temporarily at their homes, and-" I stopped mid-sentence, almost allowing Yuki's name to slip out. That was everybody. And only now have I realized how much we downgraded.

Nonetheless, when I began this case it was only with the assistance of Watari. Ultimately I did not need anyone else… but I did find- hmm, what's the word… _satisfaction_ with Yuki around. Yes, it satisfied me to have her by my side. More than 90%, in fact.

My entire childhood was filled to the brim with loneliness, work, and sweets. I simply did not have time to interact with other children around the orphanage that inhabited. Watari, the owner of the establishment, had been the only other human being I needed to feel content. Ever since then I believed my childhood was as normal as I desired it to be.

Until now. These days I find myself more familiar with the concept of loneliness and its significant role in my life. Somehow, despite my minimal efforts of my daily life remaining the same, someone had efficiently snuck her way into my soul, wrapping it around her warm fingers and drawing it closer to hers. This girl became familiar, comforting even, to me, and the hours I do not spend with her seem empty and desolate.

During my night owl schedule, while Light was in a deep sleep, I began a quest through the internet in search of the meaning to my newly acquired feelings. Yes, it was a long and eye-opening night, but I eventually came to a conclusion.

I had _affection_ for Yuki. " _Is this what they call love?"_ I had asked myself numerous times, but conducting even _more_ research on the subject, I understand that I have not achieved the full emotion of _love_ just yet. Strong affection is the way I comprehend it.

Then again, how would I know anything about the concept of love? Unless you count desserts and sweets, of course. "Light-kun?"

The brunet turned his attention to me. "Yes, Ryuzaki?"

"Are you in love with MisaMisa?"

"You of all people should know the answer to that. It's one-sided."

I tilted my head curiously. "Have you ever been in love before?"

He hesitated, thinking meticulously about it. "No, Ryuzaki, I don't think I have. Unless you count my family."

His answer did not satisfy my overwhelming curiosity so I decided to continue trying. "Do you at least know what it feels like to be in love?"

Light's eyebrow rose slightly at my question, his eyes scanning me, most likely assuming this may be a test to see if he is Kira since it is clear that Kira does not love. "Um, I guess… When you're in love, you deeply care about someone and are generally very happy when you're around them."

"What about between people who are not related by blood?" I questioned, still not quite content with the response. _I do care deeply about Yuki… I also am unusually more happy when she is around._

He gave a short, amused laugh upon seeing my serious expression. "Well, when you love a guy or a girl, you want to be with them a lot more than anyone else, you want to make them feel special and happy. You're attracted to them and enjoy being with them. Romantically speaking,you usually… well, you know…" He trailed off, leaving me to infer for myself, though I did not understand what his point was.

"No I do not know."

"Seriously?"

"Please explain, Light-kun."

A light pink blush tinted his cheeks as he folded his arms with discomfort. "Two people who are in love usually… well, they kiss and make out and… stuff like that…"

I blinked. _Oh._ "Does every couple partake in 'stuff like that' very often?"

Bright red exploded on his cheeks, the mortification of the topic causing him to shift in his seat. "N-Not all the time. In some cases, people usually wait until after they're married to do stuff like that."

An unnoticeable breath of relief left me, allowing me to relax in my chair. _In any case, it would be best to wait to do "stuff like that" until I am more than comfortable with a person I was in a relationship with._ My head hurt. I needed more cake. "Thank you Light-kun, your information was most helpful." Retrieving my fork, I sliced another piece of the delicious cake and savored it pleasurably.

Light paused, his throat clearing awkwardly. "Ryuzaki, do you… love me?"

Immediately I choked on the cake that had been sliding down my throat. Luckily it had only taken a couple seconds to continue swallowing it before it suffocated me. I turned to the brunet in shock, though I did not physically show it. "No Light-kun, I do not. Sorry to disappoint you."

I lost count of how many times his face changed colors. "Ryuzaki! That's not-"

From the pinnacle of the staircase, laughter erupted. Light and I simultaneously turned our heads to observe Akari who was hunched over in a fit of uncontrollable laughter. After a few minutes she regained herself enough to steadily walk down the steps and approach us, ghostly remains of amusement still lingering on her face.

"That," she began, suppressing more laughter, "was the absolute _highlight_ of my week." Teasingly she began to applaud. "I swear it sounded like the beginning of a yaoi fanfic!"

Light relaxed himself at her presence, putting on a smile either for show or sincerity. I was still unsure which. "How much of that did you hear?"

"Well, I was about to come down when I heard you saying your love for Misa was only one-sided." She winked at him playfully. "Don't worry, I won't tell her."

The brunet rolled his milk chocolate eyes (now I want chocolate) and smirked at her seemingly cheerful attitude. I took another bite of cake and examined her. "Akari. You seem in better spirits."

Her eyes flickered, slightly dimming at the thought, but her expression remained casual and content. "Yes, it would seem so Ryuzaki. I guess I just needed to let it all out, you know? Accept it and _try_ to move on…" The way she had sounded made me suspect she still wanted to grief immensely, but was attempting her best not to.

"Have you heard from Yuki?" I asked, praying my voice did not seem too hopeful. I assumed the fact that I have a deep affection for the silver haired girl was unknown to them.

The redhead frowned as she sat down in one of the rolling chairs beside Light. "No, not since that night… Has she not come out either?"

Concern arose in me at this fact. Yuki would have surely went to her best friend by now or at least made a brief appearance. Three days of silence did not seem ordinary for her.

Standing up briskly, I pulled a key from my pocket and unlocked the cuff around my wrist only to connect it to Akari's. Her wide purple orbs stared at me with confusion as I did so. "Akari, please continue to survey Light-kun for me. I will return momentarily."

Without another word to either of them, I shuffled across the room and began my ascent up the flight of stairs. Arriving on the first floor, I quickened my pace as I hurried to Yuki's room at the end of the hall.

Standing directly outside the door to her room, I waited.

Silence.

Forgetting my manners for a brief second, I told hold of the door handle and pressed down, opening the door and slipping inside, carefully closing it behind me. The main lounge was empty and the atmosphere was left vacant of the lively spirit, almost like she had never been there.

The far-fetched thoughts of my mind were beginning to get to me when a faint sound could be heard somewhere a couple rooms away: a shower. Worries vanished, I stealthily made my way across the main living room and down the hall toward the increasing noise.

Peering into a room with the door slightly ajar, I took note of the master bed and concluded it was Yuki's bedroom. Slipping into the crack in the door, I inspected the room she had been hiding out in for the past three days.

The grey comforter on the master bed was ruffled, a pair of blue rabbit slippers laid on the floor. On the nightstand was this morning's newspaper that I had helpfully dropped in front of the door outside her room in case she desired to look over it- my instincts were correct. Also, a significant amount of tissue boxes piled the top of the stand, and below it the small trash can was filled to the brim of used ones.

Curtains wide open, window pushed up slightly, a cool breeze was drifting through the air and circulating the room with fresh oxygen that created a lighter aura. It was quite nice, actually, peaceful and soothing.

The television directly across from the master bed was turned on, a cord connecting it to Yuki's computer to allow her to watch Netflix - she currently had on Criminals Minds, an American show I viewed as rather interesting.

I must have been engulfed in my observations because I did not notice the shower turn off until Yuki's figure flashed in the corner of my eye. Shifting my gaze to the bathroom door that was opened just enough for a decent view, I watched in silence as a (clothed) Yuki approached the mirror. Her damp hair was strung up in a ponytail, and I noticed that the ends of her hair had been neatly trimmed since the last time I saw her. She wore a loose white short sleeve shirt and grey sweatpants. Squinting, I detected a faint shade of black under her red eyes - it was evident that she had not received any sleep lately.

The silver haired femme fatale (should I dare describe her as such a woman) seemed to be contemplating her image in the foggy mirror. The longer she stood, motionlessly regarding herself, the more impatient I became.

"How long do you plan on staring at yourself?" I finally spoke, my voice breaking through the barrier of silence. The suddenness of someone else made Yuki jolt, snapping her head in my direction and glaring when she realized it was me.

"L?! What the heck are you doing in my room? I could have been naked and singing at the top of my lungs!" Exasperated, she blushed at the thought of me viewing something as private as that.

"Hmm, that would be very amusing to watch." My deadpan voice only made her stare burn a deeper hole in my frontal.

Stepping out of the bathroom, she approached me with a roll of her eyes. Up close I was able to see how much her physical appearance has been affected by the recent loss in her life. Though her eyes were still stained with puffiness, overall she seemed to be healing rather efficiently. I was content with this fact.

"Seriously L," she sighed, shaking her head. "What are you doing in my room?"

"I simply came to check up on you," I informed her, my eyes scanning her for awhile longer. "You and Akari seem to be recovering well. I am pleased."

Amused, she tilted her head like a young pup. "I guess I'm doing better… " Shifting, she folder her arms and changed the subject. "Is there anything-"

"-new in the Kira case? I am afraid not." Of course I knew what she was thinking. Yuki was proficient about staying on work related topics. "Wedy is currently preparing to set up security cameras at Yotsuba."

She nodded her head briefly. "Good." Glancing at the bed and television, she sighed. "Wanna relax with me for a while? We could Netflix and-" Whatever Yuki was about to say, she instantly stopped, a fierce blush spreading across her face like a California wildfire. "Just Netflix," she recovered quickly, head down as she shuffled to the bed. "Just Netflix." Although I was curious as to what she was on the verge of saying, I decided to let it slip.

After she had made the bed, she sat on the right while I joined on the left, sitting in my usual position. Observing me as I did so, a faint smile of tenderness lingered on Yuki's lips. I gave her a wondering look. "Sorry for staring," she laughed, the twinkle in her eyes glowing brighter. "It's just kinda… cute how you sit like that all the time."

 _Cute?_ The word seemed foreign to me. "Kawaii?" I wondered aloud, testing out the word in Japanese.

"Kawaii," she repeated.

The air suddenly seemed to cease movement, the curtains quit flapping. In fact, the entire atmosphere seemed frozen. It was almost like time itself had stopped as Yuki and I stared into each other's eyes. _What is she thinking?_

"L…" Her voice was meek at first, almost too quiet to hear. Lifting her head, she turned to me, resting her hands in her lap. "I'm scared." My heart thumped, silently latching onto her every word. "Scared of dying, scared of living, scared of losing my friends, scared of… scared of losing you." Dropping her head now, she squeezed her eyelids shut. "Promise me something, okay? Promise me that you won't leave me alone. I don't… I don't think I could make it without… without you."

I assumed that this was extremely hard for her to admit… and extremely eye-opening for me to absorb. _Was she confessing her feelings to me? Did she also have a strong affection for me as I did for her? Or was she only desperate for someone-anyone-to latch onto?_

The logically explanation was simple. Yes, there was only one way to find out.

Leaning forward, my fingers tickled the bottom of her chin, gently lifting her head to face me. Her eyes grew wide, but I had no time to explain my actions. Using my gained wisdom of 24 years, I pulled her in for what is called a _kiss_. Our lips met, and something surged through my veins. A flood of emotions crashed against me like a wave, soaking into my body. _Surprise. Affection. Enjoyment. Delight. Curiosity. Satisfaction. Hunger. Discovery. Love._ Wait- yes, the last one had to be correct. Was this what I was feeling? Is this the emotional attachment to someone that everyone was foretold to experience at least once in their existence? If so, I was immensely curious to find out more.

Our first kiss seemed to be a subtle approach, gentle to the touch. When she pulled away, my hand slithered up to the back of her neck to keep this sensation longer. The feeling I got when we kissed - I desired for it, I desperately wanted to keep the gratifying passion for as long as I could.

As long as I could lasted until we both pulled away for oxygen. I never broke eye contact with her because I was afraid to lose the connection. Even as the blush on her face deepened, I kept my eyes locked with hers. "That was immensely satisfying," I stated truthfully.

"You couldn't possibly be any more blunt, could you?" Yuki laughed, beginning to feel comfortable.

"I would like to do it again," I added with a serious expression, only resulting in Yuki laughing more.

"I take that back, I guess you can." Smiling fondly, she leaned in again to provide another passionate kiss to me, which I gladly accepted and returned. "Not bad for an introvert," she concluded when we pulled away again.

"Speak for yourself," I remarked, poking her cheek.

Rolling her eyes, I took note that her gaze wandered to the space above my head. "L, I haven't been completely honest with you. And if we're going to… you know, be closer, then I need to come clean."

This was definitely news to me. "I am listening."

Taking a deep breath, Yuki pursed her lips. "Not only can my red eyes reveal a person's real name above their head, but… they can also show a lifespan. So technically… I know when everyone is going to die." _And she associates me as the blunt one?_ "Well, _almost_ everyone."

"Whose lifespan can you not see?" I asked. If she couldn't see a person's lifespan, I presumed that it wasn't for a positive reason.

Biting her lip, Yuki lowered her eyes back to mine. "Well, I think it has something to do with Kira… I couldn't see Light or Misa's lifespans at all. I take that back- there was a time when I could see Light's lifespan in high school, but ever since Kira appeared, I couldn't."

My eyebrows furrowed in deep thought. This new information has me certain that Light is- or was at one point- Kira, and Misa Amane is- or was- the second Kira. All of the signs, observations, and clues are there. The only thing lacking is solid evidence. Personal instincts will not get someone very far in this kind of investigation.

Suddenly shaking her head, Yuki scooted closer to me. "Let's _not_ talk about the Kira case for once, please? How about we… we relax and watch Netflix for a bit, okay?"

I could not argue as she stared at me with hopeful, kawaii eyes. "Very well," was my answer. Yuki grinned and turned the volume on the television up slightly. Hesitating at first, she leaned against me for comfort. Smirking to myself, I wrapped my right arm around her warm body as both of us sat against the backboard of the bed. I could not lie: it felt pleasurable to be this close to another human. Especially someone as unique and special as Yuki. Maybe this was the first sprout of affection… love… that I had ever truly known in my entire life.

 _I hereby promise not to leave you alone Yuki Miyoshi_ I internally vowed. _As long as_ you _never leave_ me _._

* * *

 _Wow another long chapter BUT totally needed. Hope ya liked it everyone! Probably another two weeks before another update, but don't lose hope! Hehe, this story is coming along pretty good! As long as I don't get sidetracked watching Psych or American Horror Story then I think we'll be wrapping up sooner or later._

 _SIDE NOTE: If anyone is looking for new anime to watch, I just finished watching Durarara (and x2) and Your Lie In April (cried so much, more than I've ever cried before, not joking). Also, I just finished watching the first season of K-Project, which is really good!_

 _Thanks :D_


	25. Finding the Truth

**October 15th (Twenty-one days until L's scheduled death)**

"Who should we kill next?" I couldn't believe it. Little did Yotsuba know, they were practically confessing to being Kira- or at least being associated with him- on video. Our team of seven stood right in front of the screen, listening to their every word.

"You see?! It's just like I told you last week!" Of course Matsuda couldn't help but point out that obvious, yet unneeded, fact. Was he happy that this was true? No, of course not. It still irked me.

As the men continued discussing the distressing matter at hand, I didn't need L's urging glance to remind me what I should be doing. Squinting up at the screen, I scanned the circle of men, trying as best I could to read the space above their head.

Overall, the video feed was blurry, and half the men had either their backs toward me or most of their faces obscured, so I could only rule out three of the remaining seven. The lifespan of one of those men _had_ to be gone. Someone there _had_ to be Kira, right?

When Mr. Yagami and Light attempted to make a plan to use this evidence against Yotsuba in order to stop any of the scheduled killings the men made, L shot them down. So did Akari.

"What if it's just talk?" she suggested, arms crossed. "Let's face it: we have no _solid_ evidence, just what they say. Who would actually believe us without any physical proof?"

"And what if one of them _is_ Kira?" contradicted Light, slightly bitter that she was taking L's side. "If we just stand idly by and watch, those men they talked about killing might _actually_ die. Don't you want to do something to stop that from happening?"

"I suggest we do something," Mr. Yagami urged impatiently. He whipped out the phone from his suit jacket. "I don't care which board member we call - I need to reach one of these men and have them stop all these murders."

Before they could do anything rash, L stepped in. "Please hold on." The detective poured tea into his empty cup. "That will cause suspicion. It would mean the investigation caught up to them three days after they were contacted by Aiber. Also, it would make it far more unlikely that we would be able to discover who the real Kira might be."

L and I had talked it over the day before. He would do all he could to catch Kira and stop him, just like he came to Japan to do in the first place. But now he had me. I was his backup plan. My eyes were the key.

But right now they weren't helping much.

"We can't afford such a huge setback seeing how far we've come. Akari's right; In order to catch Kira, we are going to need some solid proof."

Hovering behind L's chair, I silently studied Light's expression. Determined. Frustrated. Thoughtful.

"Ryuzaki… if one of these seven men is in fact Kira, would it be safe to say that if I tried calling one of them the odds of that person actually being Kira is going to be one-in-seven?"

 _Depending on which man he calls,_ I thought, _it would at least be one-in-four, based on my surveillance._

"I'm thinking there could be more than one Kira among them," L answered, studying the brunet over his shoulder. "A probability of two-in-seven at most."

"If we're prepared to let them know the investigation is catching up to them, let's place our bets on these odds. Ryuzaki, I'm going to pose as L. Judging from their conversation so far, the one least likely to be Kira, but with the most influence, is-"

"-Namikawa."

"-Namikawa."

"Ooi!" Akari lightly smacked Matsuda on the back of his head. "Ow…"

L turned to me for silent confirmation. _Namikawa… he was one of the men I could fully see. Reiji Namikawa. Clearly noted lifespan._ I barely nodded so he could see.

Hesitantly, L allowed it, advising him to use the phone that couldn't be traced or tapped. Once Light had Namikawa on the phone, I quietly crouched to L's level so I could whisper in his ear. "Reiji Namikawa, Ooi Takeshi, and Shingo Midou aren't Kira because I could see their lifespans. I wasn't able to see if the others had lifespans or not. The odds are one-in-four."

Multitasking between the situation in front of us and listening to me, L processed the information and whispered back, "It may not be all the information we were hoping to get, but it is more than sufficient. Narrowing down the suspects is our best option at this point."

Nodding, I stood up and returned to the spot behind his chair. Throughout Light's whole proposal, I said nothing. I thought it best to keep my mouth shut for the moment.

In the end, Light's bold move was a slight success. Namikawa delayed the killings, giving us a month to find out who the real Kira was. Either way, once I was able to see the rest of the men, it would only take me five seconds to determine the culprit.

* * *

Due to disagreements on the way the rest of the investigation should go, we were split into two. Matsuda, Mr. Yagami, and Mogi moving their own direction, L, Light, Akari, and I going another.

While Light and L were conversing with the blonde in her room, Akari and I decided to step out for a break. Best place to go when you want to clear your head? Starbucks.

"Two grande Pumpkin Spice Lattes, please." The cashier nodded and scurried off to make the order. Akari selected a desolate booth in the corner right next to the windows. Both of us were total social introverts so it was the perfect spot. "Thank you," I said as I was handed our drinks.

Joining Akari at the booth, I slid the hot coffee cup across the table to her then proceeded to sip mine. We gazed out the bay window for some time, lost in thoughts. It seemed like both of us had something to say, but neither would speak.

Finally, I laughed, letting a smirk form on my lips. My best friend raised an eyebrow. "What's that look for?"

Meeting her eyes, I blushed. "Well, uh, yesterday…" Looking back out the window, I covered my red cheeks with my hands, long blue sleeves going up to the tips of my fingers. My loosely flowing silver hair covered most of my face like a curtain. "I told L about the lifespan thing." That was true.

Rolling her amethyst eyes, Akari deadpanned. "Alright… what else? You are not blushing just for that." Leaning across the booth, she yanked my hands away from my face. "Spill the details!"

Her suddenly loud voice attracted the attention of a few other customers which made me blush with embarrassment even more. Shoving her back on her side, I shushed the redhead. "Shut up you baka!" When I was sure everyone returned to what they were doing, I continued on. "Um, we may have, uh, kissed… "

"Again?" Smirking, Akari took a sip of her latte. "Isn't that the third time you've kissed him on the cheek? Color me impressed."

"It wasn't on the cheek…" Averting eye contact, I smiled at the memory.

"Oh?"

"..."

"YUKI!" Her elated voice made me jolt, my cup almost tipping over from the shake. This time everyone was looking at us. Head down, I wished I could throw her out the window. "Why didn't you tell me you had a makeout session with-"

"Shut up!" I snapped, slapping her with a napkin. "We're in public!"

"Alright alright, but still." Lowering her tone, Akari folded her arms and smirked at me. "You sly fox. Who knew you had the guts?"

She laughed, I rolled my eyes. As her snickers died down, we sat in a peaceful silence. One that was too rare nowadays. "Remember when we use to gossip about guys all the time?"

Akari looked up from her cup to smile sadly. "Those were the days, huh? When we were in high school. When we only had to worry about grades and how much anime we could watch in one weekend."

"Now we're chasing after a genius murderer with the world's greatest detective." I sighed. "Will things ever be normal again?"

No answer was needed for my question. The answer was simple - we don't know. We won't know until it happens. Our lives could go two ways, but we won't know how fate will play out until it's right in front of us. Until then we shouldn't waste our time worrying. We should take our destiny and do our best to guide it into the right direction. When the time comes, we'll fight to win. No matter what.

Little did I know that day, sitting in silence at Starbucks, that fate had big plans for me. Not only for me, but for the people around me. I would be- if not already- in the center of a battle between good and evil. Justice and injustice.

Life and death.

* * *

 **October 24th (Twelve days until L's scheduled death)**

"It's too dangerous," L told me for the millionth time. "Haven't we already discussed this?"

I sat in the chair across from him, the coffee table in between us. Crossing my left over my right, I leaned back and sighed. "I had a hoodie on. There's a high possibility they didn't get a good look at my face."

"There is also a ten percent chance someone did," he reminded me, eyes narrowing. We both knew why he was being stern about this.

"Just for a couple minutes," I pleaded, hoping not to look too desperate. "In fact, it only has to be, like, thirty seconds. Just long enough to see the rest of their faces so I can determine which one is Kira."

Going back to Yotsuba wasn't my first choice, but now my only one. It's clear that the security cameras aren't HD, and most of the men have their backs turned and faces hid. That left this - just to see all their faces at a glance was all I needed.

"I said no." L stood his ground on the subject. By no means would he let me set foot in Yotsuba Headquarters in the off chance they recognized me from… the last time I was there.

I checked my watch, squinting to read the time in the darkness of the room. "Misa's leaving for the interview in fifteen minutes. This could be the only chance to get more evidence on them."

"Yuki, I've already told you-"

In a swift move, I hopped up from my seat to dart over to L, slip my hands around the back of his neck and tug him to me. Our lips connected, and once again I got to feel the sweet sensation of his lips.

He was taken back for a split second, but instantly he pulled me into his lap, dropping his unique sitting position to make room for me. My hands tangled through his black messy hair, gentle sifting through his soft raven tuffs. One of his hands were held firmly against my back, and the other found its way to my neck, his fingers gripping onto me tightly.

Suddenly I pulled away from him, but didn't get up from the comfortable position on his lap. "Please L," I begged, staring deeply in his obsidian eyes. "Please let me go to Yotsuba. I promise I'll be in and out - five minutes tops."

The hand that still gripped my neck tightened protectively. For a moment his eyes narrowed as if he was pondering the decision. Finally his dark orbs softened, but still held their caution. "I suppose I cannot cease your desire to leave. But I am only doing this because the sooner we identify Kira, the sooner we can close this case."

I smiled. "Exactly. Because you are justice." Pecking him on the lips one more time, I scrambled off L and rushed out of the room, just in time to join Misa and Mogi in the car.

"So why are you coming with us Yuki?" Misa asked me once we were on our way. I sat in the front with Mogi while she was in the backseat.

"L wants me to scope out the place," I lied. Obviously I couldn't just tell her I had the eyes. With her being suspected as the second-Kira and all, it wouldn't be wise to reveal exclusive info like that around her. "It'll only take me five minutes so I will walk back to HQ."

"Roger that!" Mogi exclaimed in his enthusiastic manager voice. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as he kept the goofy grin plastered on his face.

About five minutes Mogi drove the vehicle into Yotsuba's underground parking area. I followed Misa and Mogi out of the parking garage and into the building. Pretending to go a separate way, I waited until they met up with two of the members, Ooi and Shimura.

Ooi had been previously cleared, but Shimura hadn't. Until now. The red numbers glowed above his head, along with his name. Now there were only three suspects left: Takahashi, Higuchi, and Kida.

Misa followed behind the men as they led her to the meeting room, and the moment they closed the door, Mogi dropped his enthusiastic arms to sigh with relief.

"Wow, don't looked so drained Mogi!" He jumped as I popped out from behind him.

"Yuki?" Glancing at the nearby cameras, he lowered his voice to whisper, "I thought you were supposed to be scoping out the building?"

Shaking my head, I went in the direction of Misa and the others. "Ryuzaki sent me for another reason, so let's just keep this between us, okay?" Before he could answer, I slipped through the door.

On the other side was a long corridor. From somewhere around the corner the faint, but distinct, voice of Misa echoed through, pounding against the walls and bouncing back to me. Cautiously I guided myself down the dim hallway, listening for Misa's squeaky voice and following that.

As I rounded another corner, I stopped myself as quick as I could when I spotted the three in the lobby ahead. Retreating to behind the corner, I peeked around and watched as they waited patiently for the elevator, Misa attempting to strike up random conversation by rambling non-stop.

Eventually the doors opened and they stepped inside. Ooi pressed one of the buttons and the doors slowly closed. I took the moment to prepare myself, patiently waiting until the numbers ceased to increased. They stopped on Floor 4.

Taking this small chance, I bolted up the steps, panting and wheezing by the time I reached the top of the fourth staircase. Miraculously I arrived just in time to see the slim silhouette of Misa slip through a doorway in the middle of the hall.

For a minute or so I rested my hands on my knees, bent over to slowly catch my breath. When my body finally filled with oxygen again, I crept down the hallway, stopping at the door they disappeared into.

 _Would they notice if I opened the door? Even slightly? Do I want to risk being compromised… again?_

 _Remember what you promised L? In and out. This is expected to be a quick job._

 _But what if they catch me?_

 _What if they don't?_

 _The safest thing to do is to leave - maybe I can get some info somewhere else._

 _Seriously? What if this is your only chance?_

 _...Somewhere else…_

 _Wait… Don't do anything stupid._ The battle going on inside my head abruptly ceased when a safer idea came to me. _There should be a file room somewhere close. If I can get in there I'll be able to search through the Yotsuba men's individual files, see their picture, and learn who's Kira without taking any risks._ One of the small benefits of my eye power is that I don't necessarily have to be physically around a person to see their real name and lifespan; looking at a person's picture is no different.

 _Yeah, much safer._

My hand retracted from the metal handle as I took soft steps away from the door. Continuing on down the maze of halls on the fourth floor, I kept a lookout for any file, employees only, or private rooms I passed by.

Having no luck on the fourth floor, my instincts told me that secret information would be much more difficult to find which meant I'd have to go higher up. Honestly it was a miracle I hadn't encountered anyone else - God must've definitely been on my side.

The first few doors on Floor 5 were locked like Fort Knox so I concluded that I'd discover what I needed on this floor. Soon after scouring through rooms that led to dead ends, I finally found it.

" _ **File Room**_ " Bold marks the spot.

Within seconds of sneaking into the arcane room, I collided suddenly with a massive tower of boxes. Stumbling clumsily in the dark, I managed to flip on the light switch without causing a major scene.

Boxes piled high with folders of information were stacked throughout the room. It was obvious that no one cared to tidy up at all - a thin layer of dust lightly coated some of the untouched boxes in the back of the room.

Hurrying down the aisle between two rows of storage shelves, I squinted my eyes to carefully read each description on the boxes. Most withheld info about banking statements, previous owners, joint companies, etc.

At the end of the row, I instantly noticed that one box had been recently pulled from the shelf and laid down on a nearby table. Evidence of a sloppy handprint lingered on the side of the box's lid.

Quickly slipping off the lid, I smirked when I realized it was the members list. They must have just acquired new employees which is why someone had to open it and put in new files.

The perfect opportunity. Without hesitation I flipped through each file rapidly, skimming over the multitude of last names. First on the list was Kida - picking his file up from the cluster, I flipped it open to see the surly image of the black-haired man. _Masahiko Kida - 03904520_. He was clear.

Next was Higuchi. At that moment I wouldn't have been surprised if Eiichi Takahashi was Kira. That blonde-haired grinch had it coming to him. But everything changed in an instant when I opened Higuchi's file. _Kyosuke Higuchi. -_ His numbers were missing.

Higuchi was Kira.

* * *

 _Dun dun DUN! The truth has been revealed to our lovely OC! Hope you guys liked this chapter, and sorry it's been almost a while since I updated last. It will not take this long again!_

 _Thanks for the reviews and favs/follows you guys! I'm glad people actually like this story, and I hope to keep you all entertained! :D I'm planning on making this fic 30 chapters long at the most, but not completely sure at the moment._

 _Oh, and HAPPY (ALMOST) HALLOWEEN! It's so close! I'm a mix of happy and sad at the same time because once it's over then it's a whole year until it comes again… Oh well, we still have Thanksgiving and Christmas to look forward to!_

 _Hope everyone's day/night is going well… I guess that's it until next update. Goodbye~~_


	26. Secrets

_OKAY everyone strap yourselves in tight because this chapter is full of action!_

* * *

Everything should have made sense. Higuchi was Kira. Case closed. I even grabbed Takahashi's file and glanced at his face just to make sure there weren't two Kiras in our midst. No… it was just Higuchi.

A greedy businessman, selfish, ruthless, doesn't care about the consequences of his actions as long as things proceed in his benefit. God-complex, obviously. He made the perfect Kira.

Almost too perfect. No one would hesitate to believe that he had been the twisted mass murderer all along. Was that how the original Kira wanted it to be? Was his intellect so exceeding that he had already mentally foresaw every outcome of this?

The only person that comes to mind with that description is Light Yagami. Why did I always come back to him? An invisible, seemingly impossible, magnetic force constantly drew me closer to him. Suspicion was rising at an immense rate.

 _But the MOs are different…_ At first Kira killed only criminals, and occasionally the people who got in his way. His methods switched to the murders of businessmen, too, and all for Yotsuba's benefit. This change in Kira's operations only occurred after Light had been detained under surveillance.

Or maybe I'm crazy. Maybe a part of me doesn't want me to let go of the brunet. My own pride just wouldn't let me get over the fact that maybe I was wrong and he was innocent.

Either way, I didn't have all day to ponder about it in Yotsuba's file room. Unless I wanted to get caught when I finally had the information that I needed, it would be smart to leave.

Shutting off the lights, I cracked the door open to peek down both directions of the hallway. Coast clear, I slid out of the file room and stealthily found my way back to the floor's lobby. Using the elevator was an even greater risk so I continued down the staircase.

At the fourth floor, I stopped. Instead of proceeding to the first floor and getting the heck out of here, I entered a door into Floor 4 where Misa and Aiber were having their meeting.

Part of me wondered how Misa was doing and if she'd cracked, made a mistake, or screwed it all up like I probably would. As I crept down the hall, I heard a sudden squeak. Not like the squeaking of a door, but more like the shrill squeaking of a girl.

It came from the women's bathroom. Reluctantly, I ventured closer to investigate, pressing my ear up against the door. Was someone getting murdered? Or had they taken one look in the mirror and realized how bad their makeup was?

From the other side, a muffled voice drifted into my eardrums. Someone was definitely inside, and they weren't alone. A gasp of air erupted from the girl inside as it sounded like they fell to the floor. Oddly I didn't need to hear the girl's voice to suddenly know who I was listening to.

"W-What are you?" Misa Amane. "I mean, I can tell you're not a stalker, but-but you don't look like a human at all!"

 _Doesn't look like a human…? Who the heck is she talking to?_ Either I was hearing things or she took too many pills this morning. Either way, I was staying put to listen because my curiosity was through the roof.

Silence lingered in the air, and I wondered if she'd passed out or something. The only thing I was able to hear if I listened extremely closely was Misa's light breathing, and the occasional gasps. _Should I go in and check on her?_

I was about to open the door when her voice broke through the unbearable silence once again. "What are you talking about? I don't understand. You know me, and Light is Kira?"

My entire body froze. If this wasn't a coincidence, I don't know what is. _Light is Kira?_ Misa seemed to be having a conversation with someone, except I only heard Misa's side of it. Maybe it was a voice in her head? Did this voice tell her that Light was Kira?

I remembered L's previous theory: both Light and Misa lost their memories of being Kira, creating in them such an innocent form that was planned to throw the investigation off guard. Maybe it was her conscience that was speaking to her, her memories finally floating to the surface.

"Light is Kira?" Misa repeated again like she was asking for clarification. "And I'm the second Kira?"

I wanted to barge in the bathroom and see who she was talking to, but I knew that would be pointless now. Keeping my presence a secret was the safest option, at least until I got all the information I needed.

Whatever was going on, it seemed like one thing was definitely for sure: L was right. He had been right all along. About everything.

"Unbelievable," came Misa's now-relaxed voice. "You've gotta be telling the truth. You already know everything about me! I totally believe you know. And yes, I do love him. To death. Not to mention how amazing it is that Light and I were both Kira. Of course I'd wanna believe something like that! I only wish I could remember it!"

Only now did I realize that I was shaking. _Light is Kira. Misa is the second Kira. Misa loves Light and would do anything for him - even kill. He must have used her when they were both Kira because she had the eyes. Yes, I think I remember seeing them once, briefly._

Not only did that mean L was right about them being Kira, but he was right about them losing their memories to make them look innocent. Only someone as intelligent as Light could have come up with something like that. So this was his plan all along. And Misa had gone with it because she's obsessed with him.

If what Misa previously said hadn't rattled me enough, what came out of her mouth next made me stumble backwards onto the hallway carpet. "Thank you… Shinigami." Scooting forward, I kept my focus on every word that came out of her mouth. "Okay, I got it. I guess I should just act normal in the meantime though, right?"

In the dead silence, I gulped. _S-Shinigami?_ This wasn't the first time the word 'Shinigami' has popped up involving the Kira case. Before I had concluded that a Shinigami- and notebook, as the second Kira once mentioned- are involved in Kira's ways of killing. And now… Something clicked. _Was Misa talking to a Shinigami? Since they're supernatural, do they have some power that allows them only to be heard by one person? Or, unless you're in the room with it you can't see it or hear it?_

Nothing made sense, but, at the same time, everything made sense. L was right. Light is Kira. Misa is the second Kira. Shinigami are real.

And I was in the line of fire.

Footsteps from inside the bathroom made me realize where I was and that, if I didn't move my butt ASAP, I would be caught. Scrambling up from the floor, I bolted to the staircase and descended down the steps at the speed of light.

No matter how much I wanted to alert L as fast as I could, it was far too dangerous to call him. Lines could be tapped. My phone could be traced. Paranoia sunk into me like a ship, so I decided to tell him privately face-to-face.

It was only a couple minutes of jogging after I left the Yotsuba building when I realized I wasn't cut out for running- especially when I didn't exactly know the way back to HQ from where I was at.

Slumping over on the sidewalk, I had to catch my breath before waving down a taxi. Giving the driver directions to the coffee shop just a block away from Headquarters, we arrived in no less than five minutes. After paying him, I hurried down the sidewalk in a fast walk, then broke out into another run.

Finally when HQ appeared in front of me, I breathed a sigh of relief. Hurrying inside, I made it past security in a flash. Before I knew it, I was bursting through the doors of the main room.

Matsuda stood up at my abrupt arrival, Light spun his chair around to me, and Akari glanced up from her book to look at me. Out of breath, I was gasping for air as I stood in front of them, hands on my knees again.

"L," I said, breathless, "we need to talk. Now." The urgency and fierceness in my voice was hard to miss.

The detective carefully set down his teacup to unlock the handcuff around his wrist. Unsurprised, Akari held out her arm for him to cuff on the metal tool. Grimacing at the staircase, I grabbed L's hand and pulled him into the next room where Watari was running surveillance. Not like I cared Watari was there - he knew just as much as L did, maybe even more.

"What happened?" was the first question L asked, studying my breathlessness and extreme concern. Even Watari stopped what he was doing to flash a worried glance at me.

Letting my breath catch up to me, I lifted my head and stared L dead in the eyes. "What if I told you that you were right about all of it? About Light and Misa being Kira and the second Kira… Kira's powers switching… the two losing their memories… What if you've hit bullseye on every conclusion you've made and every suspicion you've had?"

His face didn't falter, but I knew he didn't expect all of this at once. Curiosity must have been killing him. "What if? Well, then I would ask to understand how you came to that conclusion. Tell me Yuki…" His voice lowered, eyes narrowed. The air shifted with an all-too-real seriousness. "What happened?"

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I tightened my fist. A mix of fear and anger and adrenaline all pumping inside me at once was hard to control. I wanted to explode with my own questions and propositions, but I needed to explain everything to L and Watari first. Besides Akari, they were the only people I could trust.

"First off," I started, glancing between the detective and Watari to make sure I had their undivided attention, "I looked through Yotsuba's files and found out that Higuchi is Kira. Or, at least, the most recent Kira. He's been killing for the benefit of his company."

L bit his thumbnail in thought, finding a rolling chair to crouch on while listening to me. "Very well- at least we can close up that mystery in the case. Now all we must do is recover evidence of his method for physical proof."

"That's not all," I continued, my hands suddenly shaking. L's eyes snapped back to me with interest. "I was walking by the bathroom when I heard Misa inside. It sounded like she was talking to someone, but no one else spoke. At first I assumed that she was just a little off today, but the things she said…" I recalled the sentences and words she'd used, how she used them, and my explanation behind it.

Temptation to fall out of his chair again hit L like a wrecking ball, knocking the wind out of his again, except this time I presumed he wasn't as surprised as the first time. "S-Shinigami?"

I nodded, twisting my fingers together. My brain was working non-stop with questions and solutions to the epiphany we just experienced. Was it true? _Yes, it has to be. Everything is starting to actually make sense._

Watari's expression matched mine and L's with equal concern. "My dear, if what you're saying is true then here is much more going on than we know about. This is something we have never dealt with before."

For the first time in my life, as I observed L, he was at odds with the situation. For once, he wasn't 100% how to proceed. Neither was I. But this was L we're talking about. The world's greatest detective was now dealing with possible supernatural forces that were undeniably out of his control.

Blank expression now forming thoughtfulness, he slowly spun his chair a bit to face his mentor. "What do you suggest we do?"

I was in awe - the independent L asking for advice. Then again, I shouldn't be shocked. Every great mastermind has a mentor he looks up to. In this case, that mentor was Watari.

The elderly man leaned back in his chair, wise eyes filling with contemplation as he rubbed his rough chin thoughtfully. L and I exchanged glances, our minds frantically searching for an explanation, too.

"Well," Watari finally spoke, sighing, "I suppose the best alternative for us now is to do whatever we can to arrest Higuchi and detain him for questioning. He is the closest source we have for more answers."

"You're absolutely correct," L said, understanding his mentor's process. "If we have Higuchi in our possession then we will be able to extract information from him about Kira's procedures and tactics. From there we will use that information to decide on how to take action with Light and Misa."

I sighed with slight defeat, crossing my arms. "As much as I despise to concede to this, we can't make any moves on Light or Misa until we have more info. We'll just have to pretend that everything stands the same with them as it has before- something might go wrong if they suspect we're catching onto them."

As I finished, L stood up from his chair and shuffled over to me. The raven firmly wrapped his arms around me in a protective hug. My expression softened as I leaned into his warm, comforting embrace.

"I am pleased and grateful that you are safe," he admitted as I rested my head on his shoulder. "If anything would have happened to you-"

"Then you'd lose your eyes," I interrupted.

Pulling me away from him, he seized my shoulders in a secure hold, obsidian eyes staring deeply into my red ones. "Then I would lose my love."

Blushing, I cracked an affectionate smile. "There you go being blunt again." Pressing his forehead against mine, he continued to gaze into my red orbs with fondness.

Somewhere during this, Watari disappeared from the room, politely giving us both privacy, but we hardly noticed.

It wasn't long before his lips met mine and we kissed passionately. L Lawliet was truly the light in my dark world.

* * *

Misa and Mogi arrived just as L and I exited the back room. I swallowed my emotions to remain calm and collected as the blonde popped out from behind Mogi. "Hey!" Sighing with exhaustion, Misa trudge over to Light and collapsed on his lap, making him extremely uncomfortable. "I'm exhausted."

L took his seat across the table only after putting the cuff back on his wrist. Akari glanced at me with confusion, but I shook my head as if to say I'd explain later. "How'd it go?" L asked monotonically.

Mogi went on to say that Yotsuba agreed to hire Misa, which was apparently good news. I didn't care either way. Misa smiled proudly, stating that she already had them asking to go out on dates with her.

"So now I accept their invitations and investigate them, right? Oh it's going exactly as I planned-"

"No." Light's stern voice interrupted her. "The plan's getting canceled right now."

"But why?" Misa wondered. "Everything's been going so smoothly up until now."

"If we go any further you'll be in danger," he explained, gently pushing her off his lap. His expression was firm, almost protective, as he spoke. "You can still appear in their commercials, but from now on you should deny that you were suspected of being the second Kira and was detained by L. Mogi will continue being your bodyguard, but you'll be working solely as a celebrity."

I wanted to laugh. _If that wasn't controlling then I don't know what is._ Actually… maybe this would work in favor for us… "Why not let her?" I asked, trying to hide my amusement. "She seems capable enough to do it."

"It's too dangerous," Light justified, arms folded challengingly.

 _It's too dangerous… what isn't dangerous anymore?_ I was about to keep going when Misa straightened her back. "If that's what you want, Light, then that's what I'll do." I held my tongue. _She thinks she's so in love with him, she'll do anything for him. Does she even know the things he likes to do? The food he likes to eat? His favorite color?_ Lust, obedience, desire… that wasn't love. That was obsession.

Thankfully Misa quickly retired to bed, leaving the rest of us feeling relieved.

* * *

 **October 25th (Eleven days until L's scheduled death)**

I was asleep on the couch downstairs when my cellphone rang, playing one of my favorite MCR songs as my ringtone. Jolting up, I shot my hand to the coffee table and snatched my phone. Flipping it open, I yawned while answering, "Hello?"

"Yuki!" It was Mogi. He sounded frantic and frustrated at the same time.

"Mogi?" I sat up straighter, my voice catching Akari's attention from the couch next to me. "What's wrong?"

"I've kinda screwed up," he admitted, giving a nervous laugh. "Might not wanna tell Light that his girlfriend is on a date with one of the Yotsuba men."

I broke out in laughter, covering my mouth to suppress my hysteric giggles. L and Light looked over at me with raised eyebrows which only made me laugh more. Once I could breath again, I smirked. "Sometimes I love that girl. When did she leave?"

"Right after the shoot," he explained shamefully. "One second she was in the bathroom, the next she switched outfits with some other chick and was gone. You think I'll get fired for this?"

Shrugging, I hummed, glancing over at the suspicious Light. "You might not get fired, but you'll definitely wanna lock your room at night, just in case."

"Can you hand the phone to Ryuzaki?" He sounded nervous and embarrassed so I had to give him the pity. Poor Mogi.

Snickering, I hurried over to L, but before I handed the phone to him, I laughed and said, "This should end interestingly." Giving him my phone, I returned to Akari and told her what happened. She already knew about what I found out yesterday because I told her once everyone had gone to bed.

"Wow," she laughed, rolling her eyes. "Misa Amane is definitely a wild card. Who knows? Maybe this information will be helpful."

"I'm sure it will," I replied, lowering my voice. My eyes were secretly narrowed at Light, my heart swarming with mixed emotions. "We're getting closer and closer to finding the true Kira. And when we do, he'll pay for what he's done."

* * *

 _Hello everyone! Just to let you all know, this story has 30 chapters total. Yes, I finally finished it! Oh my gosh, I love chapter 28 by the way ;) Who knows, maybe I'll update the last chapter on the exact day I uploaded the first chapter... Hmm... This whole story has gone on for almost a year! How awesome is that?! Too bad it's got to end soon... Oh well, I've enjoyed writing this. Thank you for all the favs/follows/reviews! They make me smile! Thanks ~_


	27. A Race To Win the Battle

As Misa played the recording from her conversation with Higuchi, a small spark of proudness bubbled inside me. Innocent, annoying Misa is growing into successful spy right before my eyes.

"And so, based on what he said, Higuchi is Kira!" Misa beamed with pride and satisfaction.

Matsuda gaped like the idiot he was. "Now we not only know Kira's identity, but all those deaths that were worrying the chief are gonna stop!" Jeez he had a way to be irritating while stating the obvious.

As the others discussed Misa's discover with each other, I watched with an amused smile playing on my lips. _Hey, this is kinda nice. We're all agreeing for once._ Then again, I think I spoke too soon.

"Misa!" Light hissed with frustration as she explained how she got Higuchi to confess. "You idiot! Didn't I tell you to deny all that?!"

 _Why deny it if it's true?_ I wanted to say, but I bit my tongue. For someone so innocent, Light seemed extremely defensive and dead set on not having any more suspicion thrown on the both of them. Is that because he believed Misa was the second Kira? Did he get his old memories back?

"B-But now we know Higuchi is Kira, right?" Again, we already knew that, but of course I couldn't say anything. Was there anything I could say? I was dying to talk. "What's the problem? Can't we just catch him?"

"I suppose this is what you would call a victory, right Matsuda?" L commented in a mumble, taking a delectable sweet from Watari's cart.

"Misa, I wish it were that simple." Standing up from the chair, I walked toward the group. "We still don't know exactly how he kills his victims so, again, we need physical proof."

The blonde puffed her cheeks in frustration. "Why does this have to be so hard?" she whined. I rolled my eyes and stood next to L.

"Before we move to arrest Higuchi," L spoke up, placing his circular desserts in a pattern on the table, "we're going to find out how he kills people." With the flick of his fingers, one sweet slid across the tabletop, hitting another, and that one hit the other one. Almost like a domino effect. Or shuffle board.

"And if the criminals stop dying," Light added, "we'll be able to figure it out. Unless we come up with another idea. Isn't that right?"

L grabbed another dessert from the cart and held it in front of his face, deeply staring at it in thought. "Yes. At any rate, even if we do arrest Higuchi, we're not going to do it until we're certain that criminals have stopped dying." Slowly he lowered the fruity sweet. "Let me think about this for a moment."

The detective summoned Wedy for an update on the security. Turns out, she was only able to easily enter the homes of five of the men, but Midou, Namikawa, and Higuchi had very high tech systems, especially Higuchi. Hmm, wonder why.

L then ordered the installation of microphones, trackers, and cameras in all his cars, which was a lot.

Suddenly the topic took a little turn. "Light, I'm sorry to keep coming back to this topic- I'll just get right to the point… Do you remember? Killing anyone, I mean?"

My eyes widened the same time Light's did.

"Are you still going on about that?! Look, I'm not Kira! How many times do I-"

"Just answer the question Light," I interrupted rather impatiently. I wasn't rude. It was more like _I can't wait to hear what you're going to say._

Light's intense glare shifted between me and L before he spoke, his voice as cold as ice. "No, I don't remember."

"Misa, what about you?"

The blonde stepped up defiantly. "I don't remember. How could I 'cause I'm not Kira!"

Licking the sticky dessert that remained on his fingers, L angled his head to talk to Light in a serious manner. "Look Light, please listen to what I'm about to say. I'd like you to thoroughly analyze my current theory." By now he had the attention of all the members who stood stock-still as he spoke. "This could determine the way we end up catching Kira."

Akari and I shared glances, but our faces didn't falter. Things were solemn at the moment.

"Light Yagami _used_ to be Kira. Kira's power somehow passed onto another person. Light Yagami now has no memory of ever being Kira. I need your analysis based on these assumptions. You think you can do that for me?"

To me it was obvious he was playing the brunet, curious as to what he might say. We both knew Light used to be Kira. With all the coincidences, and the conversation I heard Misa having with a supposed Shinigami… it was clear what had happened. L only wanted to get Light's opinion on it.

"Yeah, I'll give it a try."

The room was dead silent before L spoke again, his voice suddenly filling the room with adrenaline and suspense. "Light Yagami used to be Kira. Kira's power somehow passed onto another person. Was that because Light Yagami wanted it to happen? Or was there someone else in control of Light, lurking in the background, who gave him the power? Was it that person who passed Light's power to someone else?"

As Light thought it over, my mind was left to wander as well. Then I came to another guess… _Wait, that person who passed Light's power to someone else… What if that person wasn't a 'person' but instead a… a Shinigami?_ Wait, hold on- _What if it's the same Shinigami Misa was talking to in the bathroom?_

Getting use to the silence, I jumped a mile high when Light's low voice spoke again. "Given your premise, it would be my will." I expected to hear more, but he stopped. That was it?

L's stare at the boy was icy. "Yes, of course. If there is a third party with the ability to bestow or transfer Kira's power, and they didn't want their method to be discovered, it makes no sense that they would wait so long to transfer it from you to the next Kira. If we believe that this was the work of some being watching us from above then we'd have to accept that they are impossible to catch, not to mention I'd already be dead. Or at the very least I'm being made to be a fool by eternally dancing in the palm of someone's hand."

He was about to say something else, but he stopped there. That's when I decided I couldn't take it anymore. I _had_ to say something, even if L was leading Light on. "What if that being is real?" I blurted out, pursing my lips. "What if that being was able to switch Kira's powers all the time, but it only did it when Light told it to?"

The brunet across from me hummed, turning to peer doubtfully at me. "Why would a supernatural being want to listen to a human?" he asked. Legit question, I'll give him that.

I shrugged. "Maybe it was bored." Whatever I said triggered something in him because his eyes flashed, but his composure didn't falter.

"She does have a point," L chimed in, his back facing us. "Even if Light Yagami was Kira… Kira's power can only be transferred by the will of the person who possesses it… Thank you Light. I can now say that I feel 99% better."

 _Pff, yeah 99% more sure that Light was Kira._

"We'll create a situation where Higuchi is not able to pass his power onto someone else. We'll have him show us how he kills."

"Then we can arrest him," Akari finished, "and wrap this godforsaken case up."

I inwardly sighed, carefully studying Light as he relaxed. _If only it was that easy._

* * *

 **October 28th (Eight days until L's scheduled death)**

We were ready. Tonight was the night we would catch Higuchi.

Matsuda was transported to Sakura TV and, in a flash, was on air, talking with the host about Kira's true identity. Both were concealed behind screens, only their shadows visible to the screen.

Suddenly the cue was given to have the screen "accidentally" fall over, revealing Matsuda's face to everyone watching. If Namikawa followed the procedure we discussed, he would have called Higuchi and that jerk would be watching.

Everything was easily being set into motion. But we all knew this night wouldn't be easy to end.

By now Higuchi should be realizing who Matsuda is. And Namikawa should be explaining to Higuchi just what was said to. Mr. Yagami was with Demegawa at Sakura TV making sure it was all going according to plan.

L's screen beeped- it was Watari informing L that Mogi was in position at Yoshida Productions. Of course Higuchi was calling Mogi for Misa, who had her phone turned off. He kept asking about information on Matsuda, but Mogi revealed nothing. Once Higuchi gets desperate enough he'll go to Yoshida Productions for the info: right where Mogi and Aiber were waiting for him.

"This is going exactly as I planned," Light stated as he watched the monitor patiently. The two of us stood by L's chair while Akari was on the other side of Light. "It's almost scary."

"You shouldn't be scared, Light," L replied, "you should be happy."

As Watari patched us into Higuchi's call with the President of Yoshida Productions it was obvious to see the man wasn't hiding what he was after anymore. Thus proving how panicked and desperate he was.

Finally, extremely frustrated and frantic, Higuchi hopped in his red sports car and zoomed down the street, not bothering to go the speed limit. On cue, Wedy trailed after him on her motorcycle.

Throughout Higuchi's drive, he watched the whole TV broadcast from his car. Inside he must have been angry and furious, violent and agitated.

Suddenly his voice on audio picked up. "Rem, what do you think?" I perked my head up and dashed toward the main screen to hear better. _Rem? There's no one else in the car? He's talking to no one…_

 _Or he's talking to a Shinigami._

L and I exchanged looks, his blank one overpowering my worried one. Taking a deep breath, I calmed myself enough to listen to Higuchi. "Do you think I'll get to Yoshida Productions only to find his file isn't there?"

Light frowned at the screen in thought. "Is he talking to himself?"

"If this guy was smart," Higuchi continued, "he would destroy everything that connects him with his real name before he appeared on TV. And don't you think it's a little too reckless for Yoshida Productions to just let me into their offices unsupervised? Hmm, maybe not. If there was a robbery they'd figure out right away who did it since I know where the key is."

"This isn't sounding very good," Misa commented in a worried tone.

"He'll still go there," L assured. "Don't you worry."

"Even if he does have a file at Yoshida, it could be just another alias. Damn it! I wouldn't put it past this guy to do something like that. No wonder he's confident."

Akari chuckled. "Yeah, like Matsuda could come up with something like this." She paused. "No offense."

"Yeah," the crazed man went on, as if someone had said something to him, "I already know that much myself. But just to be on the safe side, I should also kill the people I contacted at Yoshida Productions- that includes the president, Misa, and that manager of hers."

"Plot twist!" Akari muttered, unable to hold back. I tried to send her a glare, but I ended up laughing along instead.

Misa didn't think any of this was funny, though. "What? No way, he's gonna kill me?"

"We won't let that happen," I stepped in, squeezing her shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, if he tries anything, we'll take him down. You're safe." Her body relaxed a bit and she smiled gratefully at me. I almost felt sorry that we were going to put her in prison someday.

"Besides," L added, "he's talking about doing that after he's killed Matsuda. There'd be no point in killing the rest of you until he's gotten rid of the main threat."

"Oh yeah," Higuchi suddenly said as if he'd made an epiphany. "Rem, I didn't think you were so smart." _Seriously, who's Rem? The Shinigami?_ "Then I'll make them all erase their call histories before they die."

This whole conversation with no one disturbed Light. With nothing he could actually do, he stood up quickly and growled at the screen. "There's no way he just be talking to himself. But who's Rem? Who is he talking to?!"

"If he's talking with someone right now, then it could be-"

"a Shinigami." L and I announced together in perfect synchronization. We had totally planned that beforehand... totally... It was either my imagination or Misa slightly tensed up beside me at the words.

"No!" Higuchi replied. "I'd end up being ruined if I did that! Even if I forgot the notebook, this guy says he has concrete evidence to back him up. If he points out Yotsuba's recent growth on the air, no one would ever doubt his claims. They'd believe whatever he said. That means whoever he says is Kira will be marked as Kira. If he didn't have proof and I got rid of the evidence by returning the notebook, my life would be over. I wouldn't get promoted, I wouldn't even be able to stay with Yotsuba."

"There it is again!" I exclaimed, clenching my fist. L and Light turned slightly to listen to my explanation. "He says 'notebook.' That's gotta be connected to his way of killing, right? It's not the first time we've heard the word."

L hummed in thought, chair squeaking as he spun back around toward the screen. Light's gaze lingered on me, our eyes meeting to stare blankly at each other. _What is he thinking?_

Finally he arrived at Yoshida Productions. The show was about to begin.

We watched him infiltrate the building, enter the passcode, and take slow steps in the file room. Down the row he went until he stopped at one of the desks to open the very bottom drawer.

Frantically, with loud and uneven breaths, he searched through the cluster of folders. As we watched, he retrieved a file and flipped it open, reading the name on the paper. In the room, our breaths became almost non-existent, our presence invisible to one another. The only thing our minds focused on was Higuchi's next move.

And boy was it a puzzle.

From his bag he pulled out… a notebook. Just that. A simple, black notebook. Opening it carefully, he took out a pen and copied down the name from the file. His grin widened with satisfaction as he finished. Then, returning the file and closing the drawer, triumphantly marched out of the room.

"He's not doing it!" Light exclaimed, baffled. "He just made a note of his name before leaving so he's not gonna kill him here?" We were all confused, wondering what was happening.

Mogi and Aiber were forced to stay hidden - nothing happened. We still don't know how he kills. "Perhaps he's planning to do something when he's back in the car," L assumed.

We watched on the cameras as he casually buckled himself up, calmer than ever before. In fact, he seemed completely content at the moment. "It's weird," Light noted, "you'd think he'd be desperate to kill Matsuda this very second but he's calm."

"It is strange," L agreed. "If all he needed was the name then he simply should've taken the personnel file with him, but he just put it back in the drawer after writing the note."

Higuchi watched the broadcast on his TV intently until he suddenly exploded, causing Misa, Akari, and I to jump back in shock at the sudden tone change. "Damn, he didn't die!"

"What's he talking about?" Light wondered. "He said 'he didn't die.'"

"Did he already try and kill Matsuda?" The detective in front of me wondered.

That's when it hit me. Another great epiphany of my life slammed me like a wrecking ball. It must've hit Akari, too, because we both turned to each other to shout, "The notebook!"

The three others turned to us with confusion. Had they not caught on? I let Akari explain. "It's the notebook," she said. "It must have the power to kill if that's all he did- simply writing his name down should've killed him, but it didn't, which is why he got mad!"

"That explains why the notebook keeps popping up," I added, biting my fingernail. "That must be how Kira kills- both this Kira and the second Kira mentioned it. It can't be a coincidence."

"But _how_ does it kill?" Light questioned, furrowing his brows in thought. "Does it send a message to-" His eyes widened slightly. "Does it send a message to the Shinigami? Both Kiras mentioned that, too, right? What if the name Kira writes in the notebook is the person he wants dead, so then the Shinigami kills that person? Could that be it?"

I bit my lip and stopped pacing back in forth to think about it. "Hmm, not a bad hypothesis, Light." Being sincere, I reached out my hand for him to high five- he did with a small smile. "It may not be much, but it's something."

Akari ran a hand through her red hair. "Okay, so if that's true, then everyone whose name is written in the notebook must be dead. That's solid evidence, right? Even if no one believes the Shinigami part, the police might see it as a hit list!"

In the middle of our conversing, Higuchi's voice stopped us in our tracks. "Rem, let's make the deal."

Light turned his head and frowned at the screen again. "The deal? Who is this Rem person he keeps talking to? Could it really be the Shinigami? And could the Shinigami really be the one killing everyone?"

"I really don't want to think that's the case," L mumbled.

"Then what is this Rem?" Light asked. We were all lost right now, not sure of anything anymore.

"Whatever it is, we need to keep watching him. We'll learn nothing if we take him now. We may still be able to find out how he kills."

Suddenly, something changed about Higuchi. His expression was more sinister, his aura more grim, his posture more arrogant. Without any notice, he slammed on the gas and sped off, Wedy, Mogi, and Aiber right on his tail.

A policeman noticed his excessive speed and rang his sirens, flashing his lights to alert Higuchi. For some reason, my stomach clenched. I didn't like where this was going.

Both vehicles stopped, and Wedy was forced to pass. The policeman got off his bike and approached the sports car's rolled down window. L switched the screens to Higuchi's car where the man was apparently searching for his license. He took one glance at the officer suspiciously and kept searching.

Wait… was he searching? It looked like he was… like he was writing something. "The notebook…" My voice came out as a whisper. Then I said louder, "The notebook! He's writing the name in the notebook! He's gonna-"

Before I could finish my sentence, Higuchi slammed on his brakes again and took off down the road. The officer jumped onto his bike and chased after the speeding car. The officer was tailing him, but it suddenly went downhill. "That motorcycle cop just rear-ended a truck: he's dead!"

Misa gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. Light widened his eyes. "He's dead?! By accident?!" Standing up, Light glanced toward me. "That's gotta be it- he's using the notebook to kill."

"But this time," Akari spoke up, her voice grim and serious, "he only needed the officer's face to kill. That can only mean one thing."

L and Akari turned to me as I froze in place, my eyes glued on the screen ahead. _Higuchi has the eye power._

* * *

 _Oh my gosh! We're nearing the end of this suspenseful battle! Oh, but just you wait, I've got a lot more_ _in store. By a lot I kinda mean just one really big one! Next chapter!_

 _*squeals* I'm excited! Au revoir ~ !_


	28. Reunited

_Okay guys so a big thing is gonna happen… right at the beginning of the chapter… yeah, I was gonna make it a cliffhanger but the chapters worked out otherwise… so here ya go…_

* * *

"Everyone!" L's suddenly fierce and commanding voice alerted everyone to listen. "It's too dangerous to allow further action by Higuchi. Let's bring him in! I believe he has the same powers as the second Kira. He is able to kill just by looking at someone's face. Please keep this in mind as you move in to arrest him!"

Watari connected L to the Director of the NPA to inform him on the situation at hand. All officers were to refrain from approaching his speeding car. This was the safest way.

"Alright," Light spoke up. "Dad, during the next commercial break, take Measure 7." Matsuda and the MC were going to be switched with manikins for their safety- then everyone would be escorted out of the building except for our team.

"So then, Light," L began, his voice much more calm and monotone than before, "let's say we go and join the fun as well." The brunet agreed. L stood up and snapped Misa in handcuffs, making her cock her head in confusion. "I'm sorry to do this Misa. But I'm going to have to make sure you're restrained for awhile."

"What?! But that's… stop joking around!" L had wrapped chains around the blonde and the chair she was sitting in just so she couldn't escape. They wouldn't be here to watch her so they had to make sure she'd be secure.

"We're coming with you," I announced to the detective once he was finished putting on all the chains. "Akari and I can use her motorcycle."

Without giving me a second look, L replied "No."

I frowned as he continued past me with Light. "Yes."

"No." He shuffled closer toward the door. "For your safety I'm ordering you to stay here." I was going to protest, but I didn't. _He said an order. Not a request._

Akari opened her mouth to speak when Watari's voice cut her off. "Ryuzaki, you have urgent visitors. May I let them in?"

"We don't have time," he replied, stopping to turn around toward the screen. "Higuchi is on the move."

"I strongly suggest you stay for this," was Watari's calm reply before a beeping sound came from the other side of the door. He must've allowed them access in.

"Who's here?" Light wondered, scratching his head. "And why now?"

The door creaked open, and instantly I recognized two of the three people entering, though I didn't expect to see them again. "Professor Nikado and Maki?" Nikado was holding someone up like the man could barely stand, and Maki was on the other side of the man, helping him stand best she could.

Akari's breath hitched, her hands moving up to cover her mouth as a suppressed cry came from it. I followed the gaze from her teary eyes to the man Maki and Nikado held up.

My knees wobbled, and I almost dropped to the ground. Instantly my hands began shaking and my vision became blurry as a result of forming tears. My mind refused to believe who I was seeing, but it was real. It had to be.

"B-Beyond?" The man in the middle of the trio lifted his head of raven hair to make eye contact with me. We stared into each other's red eyes until I couldn't take it anymore.

Once I began to shed the first tear, I couldn't stop. Sprinting across the room, past L, Akari, and Light, I ran into the arms of my brother. My thought-to-be-deceased brother. Beyond Birthday.

He let go of Maki and Nikado to wrap his arms around me and squeeze me tightly. "You bastard," I whispered through my tears. "How could you do that to me?" I felt his soft hair, rubbed my cold fingers across his cheek, placed my hand on his chest to make sure his heart was beating… he was real… he was alive!

Smirking- he had the nerve to smirk at me- Beyond lightly kissed my forehead and pulled me back into the warm embrace. "Hey, it's not my fault I got stabbed."

This time I pinched him on the arm. "It's entirely your fault!" Laughing, he pulled away again to smile affectionately at me. "I love you Beyond," I said. Those words… for weeks I wished I could say them to him again… now I can.

His smile only widened. "I love you too sis. Jeez, you're such a dork." Moving his eyes away from me, he gazed at the redhead across the room. "There's the other dork."

"Idiot," she muttered as she stormed toward us. "You are such a _moron_." I moved away because I knew what was coming next. Before he could say anything to her, Akari grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him into her- they began to make out, but I sadly had to cut it short.

"Okay break it up you two!" Pushing them apart, I wiped the tears from my eyes. "Look, we'll have more time later for a reunion. But now we have to go after Higuchi!" I quickly turned to L.

"No," he answered again.

"Dang it," I grunted.

"Ryuzaki!" Beyond slithered over to his favorite detective to give him a hug- then got swatted away like a pesky fly. "What'd I miss?"

L, Akari, and I shared a look. "A lot." Suddenly I remembered the other two presences in the room. "Wait- Nikado, Maki!" Spinning around, I smiled at the happy faces in front of me. "What are you guys doing here?"

Maki giggled and skipped over to me, hugging my legs. "Hey Yuki! We came here to bring back your friend!"

I looked over to Nikado. "How did you know he was my friend? And why did it take so long to find this place?" So many questions.

The professor shrugged, a fatherly smile lingering on his welcoming face. "Ah-my apologies. I would have returned him sooner, but it took awhile for his wounds to heal. And… well, when I found him, he was unconscious."

"Daddy treated his wounds and made him all better!" little Maki cheered, still hugging my legs. "It took awhile, but the man was finally able to tell us where he was from." Her smile was heartwarming. "He even told us about you!"

"I wanted to make sure he was fully recovered until we moved him," Nikado explained. "He told us here so that's where we brought him." The professor looked around to the others in the room. "Sorry to intrude."

"Why didn't you bring him to a hospital?" Akari asked, still clutching onto her boyfriend as if she would lose him again.

"Well, seeing as how I discovered him in the dumpster of a prominent Japanese business company that could ruin my life and send me into a spiraling despair whenever they pleased, I decided to handle this on my own."

I laughed and rubbed Maki's head comfortingly. Turning to the others, I introduced them. "Oh, guys, these two are Professor Nikado and his daughter Maki. They're new friends I made earlier this month."

"And they healed me," Beyond added. "Can't forget that part."

My eyes sparkled with an idea as I kneeled down to Maki's level. "Remember that secret I asked you to keep?" She thought for a moment, then her face lit up and she nodded rapidly. "Well, how would you like to meet him in person?"

Nikado, listening, rose a curious eyebrow. Of course, when I first told Maki that I worked with L, he thought I was just saying that to make her feel better. But now… "I'd love to!" she exclaimed.

I stood up and grabbed her hand, leading her over to my lovely detective. I winked at him as I introduced him to Maki. "Maki, this is L."

Tilting her head to stare up at him, and glancing mysteriously at the chain connecting him and Light, the biggest smile broke out on her face. "Are you a prince? A superhero? Are you the greatest detective ever?"

L glanced at my expression. _Don't you dare screw up a little girl's dreams._ Crouching down to her level, L flashed his remarkable, rare smile that made my heart skip a beat. "Of course, Miss Maki. And I must say, it is truly an honor to meet you my dear."

Grinning from ear to ear, she took the moment to wrap her arms around L's neck and hug him. After a moment, she pulled away. "It was a pleasure to meet you L. Promise me something?"

He blinked, staring wondrously back at the little girl that had hugged him. "What is it?"

"Promise me that you'll catch Kira." Her expression was serious and her voice was firm.

L kept his stare for awhile, not saying anything, until he smiled again. "I will catch Kira. I promise." With the happiest face, Maki hugged L one more time, whispering something in his ear that made him hum with satisfaction, then skipped back to her father.

"Well," Nikado said once his daughter was at his side. "We have overstayed our welcome. It's almost her bedtime so we'd better be heading out. It was an honor to meet you L." The detective and professor met to shook hands.

"Please," L insisted kindly, "come back anytime. You are definitely welcome."

"Thank you," Nikado replied. I gave him and Maki a quick hug, gave Nikado my number in case they needed/wanted to contact me, then waved as they left.

Silence filled the room, but we all seemed content. It was a joyous moment, having Beyond back again.

Then that moment ended. "Ryuzaki," Light spoke up, tugging on the chain as Watari entered the room. "We need to go."

L turned to me before I could say anything. "No. Stay here. Catch Beyond up on what he's missed." Then he surprised me by grabbing my wrists and pulling me closer to him so he could passionately kiss me on the lips. In front of everyone. When he pulled away, he said, "Don't do anything careless."

Not letting anyone say anything to him, he dragged Light out of the room with Watari following behind.

Beyond snickered as he came up behind me. "Wow Yuki, seems like I missed a lot." Jumping at his sudden voice, I smacked him lightly on the arm.

Spinning fully around, I tackled my brother in a hug. Then Akari joined in, too, and we had a dog pile on the floor. Finally he pushed us all off him, but we all remained laid next to each other on the floor.

Then I explained everything that happened. With Yotsuba and the investigation. With my relationship with L. I made sure Misa had headphones on when I told him about all the secrets we discovered. About Higuchi, Misa, Light, the Shinigami, the eyes, the notebook. I finished off by explaining where L and Light were going.

After I was done, Beyond let out a long breath as he stared up at the ceiling. "I can't believe I missed all that. How long have I been gone? A little over two weeks?" He licked his lips with desire. "Think of all the jam I missed out on eating."

Akari rolled her eyes. "Huh, I didn't know jam was all you care about." He smirked and nudged her playfully.

"I missed you Akari," he smiled fondly. "I missed you, too, Yuki. You know, it kinda sucked being in bed all the time. Hurt like heck, too."

Akari and I rested our heads on each of his shoulders comfortingly. We laid like this for awhile until I sprang up from the floor. "We can't just sit here!" I exclaimed. "We've gotta do something about Higuchi!"

The other two bounced up from the floor and followed my lead. "Didn't L tell you not to be careless?" Akari wondered.

"Careless doesn't mean we can't do something," I shrugged. "It just means we can't screw anything up."

Beyond rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Snapping his fingers, the killer marched toward the door. "Let's go get some help then."

Confused, Akari and I followed him out the door. "Wait, where are we going?" I asked. When he didn't answer, we sighed. "Does this feel like deja vu?" I asked my best friend.

She grinned. "Just like old times."

* * *

I definitely didn't expect Beyond Birthday, L.A killer, to guide us to the NPA. But he strutted through the door like he owned the place. Thankfully no one recognized him as we waltzed through the main lobby and up to the reception desk.

No one, that is, except for Aizawa. "Hey, what the heck are you three doing here?" Storming up to us, the grump frowned at Beyond. "Wait- Mogi told me that you died. Can someone please explain this?"

"Nice to see you too Aizawa," I muttered, rolling my eyes.

"Look, we don't have time to explain," Beyond replied, running a hand through his black hair. "We need kinda… we, um… ugh, we kinda need your help."

The detective glared at the three of us. "No. Way."

"Please?" Beyond tilted his head and pouted like a helpless puppy. Aizawa wasn't moved. "Come on, it's about Kira. We're on the brink of catching him!"

"Then why do you need my help?" he questioned skeptically.

Immediately I understood what Beyond was wanting. We were trying to stop Higuchi, to corner him so he couldn't escape. "You're the only one who can help us Aizawa," I begged. "Please, we need your help cornering Kira."

Akari caught on as well. "You'd be helping L catch the horrid mass murderer and put an end to all of this." I think he liked what she said because he started to loosen up.

"Alright," he sighed with defeat. "What do you need?"

Beyond hummed, biting his lip. "About… ten to twenty police cars?"

The detective growled. "Stop screwing around you guys! I thought you wanted my help?!"

The killer's face didn't falter. "Did I stutter?" he challenged, crossing his arms. "We need police cars, policemen, and we need them ASAP."

On cue, my phone rang. "Hello?"

" _Yuki, it's Light."_

"What's going on?" They sounded like they were still in the helicopter.

" _Higuchi just left Sakura TV. Aiber and Mogi are following him, but he's got a good lead on them."_

I glanced at Beyond. "Alright, thanks for telling me."

" _Also… he shot at my dad. He's gonna be fine. But I just wanted to let you know."_

My hand clenched into a fist. "Thanks Light. Stay safe." Flipping my phone off, I turned to the others. "Higuchi shot at Mr. Yagami and is now on the run for it. Just left Sakura TV."

Taking it personally, Aizawa growled. With narrowed eyes he looked between the three of us. "Fine. Let's go catch that bastard."

Calling for reinforcements, we followed Aizawa to the back where all the police cars were parked. Outside I reminded everyone, "Remember, Higuchi only needs a face to kill. Keep your helmets on at all times." Handing us our helmets, the three of us joined him in his car.

About fifteen police cars in total zoomed out of the NPA parking lot and headed straight in the path of Higuchi. As we got further along, I spotted L's helicopter hovering in the sky. Pointing it out, I said, "They're following Higuchi, which means he must be coming up the other side of the bridge."

"Then that's where we're blocking him off," Aizawa declared. Grabbing his radio, he informed the others of the plan. In a herd, the police cars sped onto the bridge. In the middle, everyone slammed on their breaks to form a barrier.

"The helicopter's getting closer," Akari noted.

"There!" shouted Beyond.

Up ahead, a red sports car was shooting towards us at high speed. Higuchi. When he saw our enormous barricade, he slammed on his brakes, his car screeching halt while spinning, then fully stopping with the trunk in our direction.

Above, the spotlight surrounded the car, bright and bold. On the other side of Higuchi, L's helicopter approached. He tried to make a break for it, but Watari appeared from the side of the helicopter and shot at him, popping out a front tire.

Higuchi's car spun wildly then eventually crashed into the side of the bridge. A group of police cars swarmed around him to prevent him from escaping again. Finally, he was cornered.

From where I sat, I saw him pull out a gun and force it to his head. The man threatened to kill himself, but would he actually? Not like he had enough time- Watari shot perfect aim, hitting the gun from his hands.

L's helicopter landed, and the arrangements were being made to arrest him. Badly did I want to go out there and do it myself, but I wasn't an officer. This wasn't my moment. At least not yet.

Aizawa rolled down the window as Mogi and Mr. Yagami approached. The two glanced at me and the duo in the backseat, and when they saw Beyond, they gaped. "I know, I know," the killer smirked, "I have some explaining to do. But that can wait, right?"

They nodded and turned to Aizawa, who saluted his commanding chief. "Aizawa…" He glanced at our helmets and continued. "Cover me."

"Yes sir. You can count on me Chief."

We remained in the car and watched with satisfaction as they moved in to obtain him. "It's almost over," I sighed with relief. "Almost." Though we still had Light and Misa to figure out, this was definitely a victory for our team.

The content atmosphere was cut short when my phone rang. "Hello?"

I expected it to be Light, but it was L. " _Please put a helmet on and join the others with Higuchi. Akari and Beyond may join as well. But I think you should hear this for yourself."_

Without asking, I told the others and we joined the team as they put a headset on Higuchi and had him talking. "...The notebook…" My friends and I exchanged glances. We were finally going to get an answer. "You probably won't believe me, but I've got a special notebook. If I write someone's name in it while thinking of their face that person dies."

 _We were close. Our guess was so close to the truth. But the truth is even more scary._

Mr. Yagami went inside the car and retrieved the notebook, picking it up and examining it. Suddenly he began yelling, dropping the notebook and falling to his knees. "What is it?" I called, looking around for anything suspicious.

"It's a monster!"

Mogi went to the chief's aid and picked up the notebook. When he looked where Mr. Yagami was looking, he yelled, too, and fell back on the ground.

"That… thing!" Mr. Yagami stared and stuttered. "It s-seems that only people who have touched the notebook can see this… this monster!"

 _Only people who have touched it…_ I gasped at the realization. _Misa… she was talking to someone in the bathroom, but I couldn't hear it. I most likely couldn't have seen it either if I would have walked in… and Higuchi was talking to someone in the car, but we couldn't see or hear it either… a Shinigami…_

"He's talking about a Shinigami," I announced. Only the members of the Task Force knew what I was talking about. It absorbed in Mr. Yagami and Mogi's mind that that is what they were looking at.

Approaching them, I picked up the notebook and looked around. Sure enough, the creature that wasn't there suddenly was. Stepping forward, I gazed at it in awe. "Are you… are you Rem?" I asked it.

Observing me like I was nothing but a mere ant to the giant, it stared at me. "Yes." Not much of a talker, huh?

Immediately I had so many questions. "Wow…" In my wonder, I didn't even notice Akari and Beyond had touched the notebook, too, and were now gazing at it with curiosity.

"Ryuzaki," Beyond called, "you've gotta see this!" He seized the notebook from my grasp and jogged over to the helicopter. I watched him hand the notebook over to L, who took it between his fingertips.

Turning back to the creature, I examined it. "Where are you from?" I asked. Instead of a verbal answer, the thing lifted it's-presumably her- head toward the sky. By the looks of her, definitely not heaven. But… but something in between heaven and earth. "Up there? Cool."

"Do you eat people?" Akari asked curiously.

"You humans are much too disgusting for my taste," Rem answered. Akari narrowed her eyes, but I just laughed.

"Wow, a Shinigami with a sense of humor."

"I wasn't joking."

Beyond joined us. "Do they have jam where you're from?" She didn't even bother to answer that one.

A serious question popped to mind so I turned from my friends to stare at her. "Rem… can you see my real name and lifespan?" The other two waited quietly for her answer.

The being hesitated, like it was debating on whether or not to answer. Or even speak at all. But eventually she looked down at me again. "Yes."

* * *

 _Thank you guys for the reviews and follows/favs! Feel free to review and tell me what you think! Next chapter will probably be up in another two weeks so look forward to that. Goodbye and thank you!_


	29. If Only

_*shoots confetti canon* One more chapter left! *sniffs* It's all coming to an end so quickly I just- *grabs tissues* Let's move on._

 _Thank you so much for the reviews, and the favs/follows! It really means a lot to me to know that you guys enjoy this story! *grabs more tissues* No, I must stay strong. It's not over yet!_

* * *

Our conversation with the Shinigami was interrupted by sudden scream coming from the helicopter. I knew exactly who it belonged to which is why I bolted away from the supernatural being.

Rushing to the helicopter, I opened the right door to see what was going on. Light had his head down, trembling hands clutching the notebook. L stared curiously at him from the other side.

"Light?" I was out of breath again. "Are you okay?"

The yelling ceased. Taking a deep breath, Light stopped shaking. "Ryuzaki… I wanna check this out." Swiftly his right hand moved across a keyboard. "I wanna try comparing the names written in this notebook with the names of the victims."

L seemed a little taken back by Light's sudden scream, both of us exchanging glances. "Huh? Oh, alright. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

But something was different. The aura, the atmosphere, Light's calm voice and sudden tactic moves… what happened? "Light, are you sure you're okay?"

He lifted his head from the notebook to flash an award-winning smile. "Yeah Yuki. I'm fine. No need to be worried, just a little scare, that's all." I nodded, hesitant to tear my eyes away from him. Eventually my feet moved again and I found myself back with the others.

"What was that all about?" Beyond wondering, glancing back at the helicopter.

Pursing my lips, I whispered so that only the two of them could hear. "I don't think this war is going to end well. For any of us."

Mr. Yagami and the others began to escort Higuchi to a cop car when something happened. Something bad. Before our very eyes, Higuchi had a heart attack. Crumbling to his knees, he gasped for air until the last breath left him and his head fell back lifelessly.

My first instinct was to glance back at the helicopter. Another coincidence… Light gets his hands on the notebook and not even a minute after, Higuchi dies. But L was watching him the entire time… right?

* * *

 **October 29th, Early morning (Seven days until L's scheduled death)**

Back at HQ, everything was calm. Misa was quietly reading a magazine in her room. The Task Force gathered in the main room to look over the notebook. The Death Note. Beyond was on the couch, shoving his fingers in a jar of jam.

Things were calm… but I was on the edge of my nerves. In my hand I had the Death Note, and I was pacing around the room, reading the rules front to back. Rereading and rereading. The wheels in my head were turning, but then they'd stop working. Most of the instructions matched up but… I was at odds with myself over one stupid rule.

"If the person using the note fails to consecutively write names of people to be killed within 13 days of each other then the user will die."

"Wait a second," Matsuda perks up, "if that's true then it means Light and Misa Misa are completely cleared, doesn't it?"

"Shut up Matsuda," I hissed, slamming the notebook on the table. "Is pointing out the obvious the only thing you can do?"

Taken back and a little hurt, Matsuda shrunk. Aizawa came to his defense. "Hey, watch it! What's wrong with you anyway?"

Beyond slipped off the couch, licking and wiping off his fingers on the way, to grab my shoulders and whisper, "Hey, calm down. Don't go crazy and kill anyone, okay?" I know he was trying to be helpful, but I shrugged him off anyway.

I couldn't think straight anymore so I barged out of the room. Storming through the building, I found my way to a large staircase and sat down at the bottom of the steps. It was impossible to clear my head from all the questions and anger swarming around inside.

A voice drifted through the air as I was trying to think. "You seem upset." L. I looked up to see him shuffling towards me, no chain around his wrist. "Are you alright?"

I watched as he crouched next to me on the steps. "Yeah, I'm fine. I think." I pointed to his empty wrist. "Chain Light to Akari again? You know how jealous Beyond gets."

Raising his pale arm in the air, he twisted his wrist and gazed at his hand. "No. Actually, Light and Misa have been cleared of suspicion. They no longer need to be kept under surveillance."

Frowning, I balled my hand into a fist. "That's not what I want to hear right now."

Dropping his arm back to his bent knee, L let us sit in silence for awhile before he spoke again. "Maki seems like an interesting girl." I couldn't help but smile. "Do you know what she said when she hugged me and whispered into my ear?"

I shook my head. "What?"

Scooting closer, he locked eyes with me. "She said that you have a tremendous infatuation with me."

I laughed, rolling my crimson eyes. "I'm sure she used those exact words."

"She did indeed."

"Well then, what a smart little girl." Blushing, I looked away. "She might be telling the truth."

"Might?" Smirking, he leaned over and kissed me gently on the cheek. "I was hoping it was more than 90% correct."

"Hmm… try 100%." I turned to him and kissed him, my hands getting lost in his black sea of hair. His left hand made its way to my neck and his other hand took hold of my back and pulled me closer. When I suddenly pulled away, I brought him in for a warm, tight embrace.

"Have you ever thought about having kids one day?" I asked him, laying my head on his shoulder as we sat.

"Recently, yes," he answered in a gentle voice. "I've come to find some kids rather enjoyable."

I smiled. "Some? Like Maki?"

"She is rather a gifted child. I wouldn't mind having a daughter, or son, like her someday." I blushed at the topic of our conversation, but it was inevitable. "And you?"

"I'd love to have a child or two," I replied. "Or three. Or four. I mean, well, three is a good amount. Honestly, I don't care how many I'm given. I love kids."

"Some children are tolerable." Rolling my eyes, I hit him playfully on the arm.

Something tugged at my heart, a question I've been dying to ask him lately. Now was the time. "What are you going to do after this is all over? Where are you… gonna go?"

The detective thought about it, and as he did he twirled my long strands of silver hair. "Hmm, I suppose I will continue solving cases. It is what I'm best at. Overall, my career won't change…" He stopped twirling my hair for a moment. "But having someone alongside me might."

My heart skipped a beat, then another one. I almost couldn't breathe until I had to remind myself. Holding back a smile, I leaned closer to L. "I mean, I personally don't have any plans after this except finish college, but that can be done online. Anywhere with internet. So if someone, for example, asked me to join them as they traveled around the world solving cases then I'd be happy to join that person."

Was that too obvious?

L relaxed and continued playing with my soft hair strands. "When this is finished, I promise to take you with me." His words were music to my ears. "Besides, I'm sure Beyond and Akari don't have plans to separate anytime soon so you don't have to worry about leaving anyone alone."

He was right. Akari had Beyond again. My brother was back. Who knows what they'll do after this is over, but if one things is for sure it's that they'll stay together. We've all been through a lot.

"No matter what happens next," I began, holding L tighter, "you can't die. You have to live. Not only for me, but for Maki. For Beyond and Akari. For Japan. For the world. People _need_ you, L. You… you make the world a better place. You are justice."

Pressing his lips against my forehead, the detective's hand reached for mine and squeezed it tightly. "I will try my best not to die. For you and for everyone who needs me."

I smiled. _And I'll try my best to make sure you don't die either._

* * *

 **October 30th (Six days until L's scheduled death)**

"Text me once and awhile, okay?" Misa had my phone number on speed dial so I knew she wouldn't hesitate. Besides, by the way this case was going to end up, I'd be seeing her real soon.

As everyone else said their goodbyes to the model, I sighed with pity. _Would it be right to lock her up? I mean, she was/is the second Kira… but why do I feel sad thinking about it? Ah crap._

Shaking my head, I turned away from the scene. _Right now her memories seemed to be erased, but if L's right and there's another notebook, we can't be too sure that she won't gain them back. At the very least we could pretend to arrest her but instead give her a one-way ticket to Hawaii. That would work, right?_

Back inside, Beyond and Akari were trying to get information out of Rem again. "Do you know who the original Kira is?" Beyond asked. "If so, please feel free to describe him."

Light rolled his eyes as I approached. "I don't mean to be ungrateful and all, but your brother is still annoying as ever."

I smiled and sat in the chair next to him. "Yeah, but that's who he is." Giggling, I spun to face him. "Remember our first real date? When you kissed me on my front doorstep and my dad, Beyond, and Akari blew that air horn?"

His face softened as he laughed. "How could I forget? It was one of the most successful first dates I've ever had."

"You nearly crapped yourself when he blew the air horn though," I reminded him with a smile of amusement.

"Did not!" he denied, shoving me playfully. "So… how long has it been since you've babysat Sayu?"

I whistled, thinking back. "Awhile. It was after we, um, you know…" Of course I had to bring our fallout into this. Great job Yuki, make everything awkward.

But this time Light didn't laugh nervously and look away at the memory. Instead, he shrugged it off. "Don't worry, that's the past. Besides, I'd take it back if I knew you were actually going to quit. I had to start watch Sayu myself."

He looked at me with a playfully accusing look, making me roll my eyes. "Whatever. It's not like she's a baby anyways. She's, what, fourteen? Fifteen? Old enough to take care of herself in my book."

"Thank God you're not her mother because with your decisions she'd have set the house on fire by now." I looked at his deadpanned face before we both laughed.

Then I took a deep breath and sighed. "How long has it been since we've been able to talk casually with each other?"

"Too long," he replied quietly.

I opened my mouth to speak again when Akari called to me from across the room. Shrugging a sorry at Light, I hurried over to where she stood away from the Shinigami. "What is it?"

Rubbing her arms, she shivered and glanced over her shoulder toward the others. "I don't like that Shinigami at all. Maybe it's because the thing is unnatural, but something about it is… off. It's not saying everything it knows."

My eyes studied the creature as it stood in the room, it's face formed a disgusted frown. "Well we know it doesn't like humans." I turned back to my best friend and sighed. "Best thing we can do is stay away from it." She nodded and returned to Beyond.

Akari was right to be nervous… as my eyes lingered on Rem I, too, felt the shiver that crawled up my spine.

Later Misa arrived to talk to Light. For some reason I found myself drawing near to the Shinigami as she watched their exchange on camera. Her eyes were full of concern and interest.

Of course… this was definitely the same Shinigami who was talking with Misa in the bathroom. She knew Misa Amane. And by the disgusted look on her face, she knew Light, too.

* * *

 **November 4th (One day until L's scheduled death)**

Crap. Crap crap and a load of crap. I was at his neck once again. Now it was exactly like old times. "Guys come on," I urged, "this isn't a coincidence! After Light and Misa get released, criminals start dying again."

"Yuki, you of all people should know that I'm innocent," Light fought back, arms crossed and eyes full of fire. "I've been with you the entire time!"

"But Misa hasn't," I reminded everyone. They looked around with thoughtful faces. Maybe I wasn't desperate and crazy after all. "With L's theory that there are two notebooks, that means she could be killing again. And has L been wrong on any of his theories before?"

"She could be onto something," Akari helped, looking at the computer screen. "All of the names were broadcast _after_ Higuchi's death so he couldn't have possibly planned them this far."

Light sighed with frustration, rubbing his fingers against his temple. "Aren't you forgetting the rule in the Death Note? Misa went at least 50 days without killing anyone and she's not dead. So that has to rule her out."

I bit my lip, searching for an explanation. "Maybe the rules were fake?"

The brunet rolled his eyes at my pathetic attempt. "That seems like a stretch. A fake? Why would a Shinigami write a fake rule? What good would it gain them?"

"Look," I grunted, staring at Light, "I don't want Misa to go to prison. Honestly, I'm glad she's free and is able to be happy. If it were up to me, I'd have her sent to Hawaii for the rest of her life rather than going to jail. But if people keep dying, if Kira keeps killing, something has to be done about it."

"She's right about that," Matsuda agreed, stepping forward. I was slightly taken back by his willingness to agree with me even after I snapped at him earlier. "This guy's intentionally writing names in the notebook knowing that these people are going to die. Even if we don't plan on publicly acknowledging the notebook the least we can do is execute the killer."

I swear the Shinigami widened her eyes at Matsuda's words. Okay, maybe he didn't paint the best light… but if Rem really did know Misa then I doubt she'd want to see the girl die.

Maybe this was our solution. "But," I added cautiously, "if Misa happened to cooperate with us, she won't be on the worst end of the stick. Since she's only suspected of being the second Kira then all she'd have to do is give us info on the first Kira. He's the one who started all of this."

I made eye contact with Rem in hopes that she'd understand my deal. This Shinigami has the power to kill, right? Maybe she could kill Light for Misa's freedom. I'm sure that as long as the original Kira is dead no one will care about convicting Misa Amane.

"This is all too much," Beyond sighed from the couch. He laid down on it, his legs dangling over the armrest on the end of it. "Can't we just eat some jam and call it a day?"

Akari smiled at her lover and kissed him on the forehead. "If only it were that easy…"

 _If only…_

* * *

 **November 5th - L's scheduled death**

Rain pounded down on the city of Tokyo. It truly was a dark and dreary day. Ha, I loved it. Standing near the window in L's room, I gazed out at the scenery around me. Black and grey clouds filled the sky. The methodical sound of rain hitting the city was soothing to me.

I could sit and watch the rain all day. Especially laying on L's bed. His bed was made, but his covers were slightly ruffled. He always sleeps on the top, that is if he ever sleeps. Work seems to drain him, but I know he wouldn't give it up.

As I lied on his bed, alone in his room, I closed my eyes. The sounds of nature and the smell of the bedsheets was enough to get me to fall asleep. I almost did if it wasn't for the voice that struck through the silence like thunder.

"Yukimi Miyoshi." Startled, I jumped and instantly slid off the bed, landing on the floor with a thump. Staring down at me was Rem. Her enormous silhouette consumed the walls as she stood feet from the edge of the bed.

"Oh my gosh Rem," I said breathlessly as I stood up. "You scared the crap out of me." I paused. "Not literally."

"Yukimi Miyoshi," she repeated. Her solemn tone and grim face sent a chill up my spine. Halloween wasn't long ago - she would have made the best jumpscares without a doubt. Just her aura and figure were enough to sent you jumping a mile high, not to mention her hollow and frightening face.

"What do you want?" I asked, my voice meek and almost scared.

"It is clear that you understand I personally know Misa Amane. For whatever reason, I will make you a deal."

This was what I was hoping for. Yes! "O-Of course. What kind of deal?" Maybe she'll promise not to hurt any of us if we don't capture Misa, then she can tell us who the real Kira is!

Towering over me, the aura surrounding the Shinigami seemed to darken at her vile tone. "I will not kill you if you do what I say. You must promise to keep Misa safe at all costs, even if it means giving up your own life. No matter what, she will not be convicted of being Kira or the second Kira."

I waited, but she said nothing. That's when the frightening realization hit me.

If I don't do what Rem says, she won't hesitate to kill me.


	30. Time Is Up

"Are you threatening me?" I asked incredulously. I couldn't believe it. "But why?"

Rem stood still in the dimness of the room. The eerie atmosphere wasn't adding to any of this. "I cannot deny that I care for Misa. I will do whatever it takes to keep her safe. Light has promised to do the same, but now he has pushed me into a position that will lead to my demise. You are my backup plan."

What? I was no one's backup plan… except maybe L's... "But that's…" I searched for the right words to describe my feelings. "That's totally unfair!"

"What do you expect from me?" she asked rhetorically. "You can thank Light Yagami. If he had not put Misa in a position to be caught then I would not feel the need to do this."

This wasn't going as planned, and it would end terribly if I didn't do something quick. "How about we add to the deal?" I asked-more like pleaded.

"What could you possibly want?"

I thought about what she had said before. "W-Well, what position did Light put you in?" There had to be some big reason she was doing this.

Her icy eyes pierced like daggers into my skin. "Unless I eliminate L Lawliet, Misa will be discovered. Light knows I will do anything to protect Misa, even if it means killing L and losing my life."

My eyes widened and my heart rate increased. Kill L? What… no, she can't do that! "Please," I begged, folding my hands together. "Don't kill L. He's important to me- people _need_ him." Swallowing the lump in my throat, I lifted my head to stare helplessly at Rem. "Fine then. I promise I'll make arrangements and have Misa free from all charges. Just don't kill L. If Misa is caught… then you can kill _me_. If L dies, I won't hesitate to throw your precious gem under the bus."

My words came out stern, but I was terrified inside. What if Misa gets caught anyways? I'll still end up dying. But if L dies, then someone has to pay.

Rem took a moment to think about my offer. Finally, she raised her arm and extended her hand. "Alright. It is a deal." Hesitantly, I met her in the middle and shook her skeleton hand.

"Tell me Rem," I spoke one final time. "Who is the real Kira?" She looked at me doubtfully. "What? There aren't secrets between us anymore."

The raging rainstorm outside mixed with Rem's terrifying appearance was enough to give someone a heart attack. "The real, original Kira is Light Yagami. But I'm sure you already assumed that."

Nodding, I turned around and exited the room. It was time to end this whole twisted game, once and for all.

* * *

Appearing in Watari's security room, I stood a few feet from the door, staring sadly at the floor. I had on a blue long sleeve shirt and jeans. Warm, white fuzzy socks covered my feet to protect me from the cold.

Watari spun around in his chair to examine me. "Yuki, my dear. Is something the matter?"

Swallowing, I sighed. "Yes, a lot of things are the matter Watari."

His elderly face wrinkled into a warm, yet sad, smile. "Come sit down dear. You can tell me all about it."

As I did, I pushed back a strand of hair behind my ear. "Watari, I'm going to need to ask a favor of you, if that's alright."

He tilted his head and hummed. "Of course. What is it?"

I raised my head and smiled weakly at him. "I'm going to end this all for us."

* * *

I watched the questionable yaoi scene with amusement. But the spark of humor faded as L admitted that he and Light would be parting ways soon. Maybe he knew of his future death by Rem… his scheduled death.

His phone rang, alerting him to a situation in the main room, so he stood up. "It seems everything is going to work out," he announced in a downcast tone. "They need me in the main room."

"Oh, alright." Light stood up, too, ready to join him, when I appeared at the far bottom of the steps.

Staring up at them, I put on my best smile. "L, they need you. It's urgent, but I think you'll be pleased." I jogged up the steps and joined them on the middle platform. Giving the detective a swift peck on the cheek, I sent him off. "Light, can we talk?"

After L disappeared, Light turned to me curiously. "What's wrong Yuki?"

My smile dropped and was replaced by a scowl. "I can't wait to see you rot in Hell you bastard." His casual expression disappeared in an instant, replaced with a matching scowl. "After everything you've done, you think you can get away with having L killed by Rem?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he replied, glancing around the room.

By now, all the security cameras were removed by Watari, just like I had requested. "There are no cameras in here," I assured him. "Ask your Shinigami to check if you don't believe me." He widened his eyes. "Don't look so surprised. By now it's obvious that every Death Note comes with a Shinigami. According to L's theory about multiple notebooks, I'm positive you have one."

Light looked around the room, waiting for something, until he finally got an answer. "Alright, I believe you." _Ha, so he really does have a Shinigami…_ "What do you want? You know you can't convict me of being Kira."

"I know you're Kira," I growled, clenching my fists. "You know I've found out from the start. But you don't know how I discovered your secret, right?"

"Wild imagination?" he mocked.

"Aw, good guess." Blinking my eyes, I stared at the space above his head. "I'm just like your peppy girlfriend. I have the Shinigami eyes."

Light seemed taken back, unsure to believe me, and raised a questionable eyebrow. "What?"

"I can see a person's real name and lifespan. I was born with the eyes. So was Beyond. The reason I knew you were Kira- and that Misa was the second Kira- is because I couldn't see either of your lifespans. That's the price of eternal damnation."

Narrowing his eyes, he knew we were now in the midst of a dangerous game. "Now it all makes sense. How you were able to join this case - you wouldn't have had a chance to help without your eyes because, let's face it, your IQ level is quite pitiful compared to mine. L wouldn't have bothered to spend any time on you."

"I don't need to beat you anymore Light," I replied, "because I've already won. L has won. You're going down, all the way to Hell. Trust me, you've dug yourself a hole too deep to get out of."

"But you're the only person who can actually see my name and non-existent lifespan," Light reminded me. "Beyond can, but the police won't believe a convicted killer. In the end, it's me against you, and once they take a look at your family history they won't think twice about believing me."

I had enough. This needed to end. From behind my shirt, tucked in my jeans, I pulled out a gun and aimed it at the brunet. "Don't you dare bring my family into this." Of course the gun was just a precaution in case he decided to do something rash, but I felt it was necessary.

Even under the pressure he seemed calm and collected, not afraid to stare me dead in the eyes. "By the looks of things, only one of us is leaving this room tonight so I guess I have nothing to lose once I tell you this secret."

I furrowed my eyebrows suspiciously, gripping the gun tighter. "What secret? You're gay? Don't worry, I think we already knew that."

Ignoring my comments, he continued to stare at me, his smirk only grower more cocky. "Guess what? Your dad - remember how he died of a heart attack? That was me. You're welcome."

I froze. The gun started shaking as my hand did. For some reason I didn't- couldn't- comprehend what he'd just said. "What?"

"I killed your father. Honestly, it wasn't that hard. I found things to be much easier with him out of the way."

Cocking the gun, I balled my free hand into a fist, resisting the temptation to deck him in the face. "Get down on your knees." He obeyed, the arrogant smirk remaining as he stared up at me. "Just admit it, Light Yagami. You're going to die, right here and now. Your crimes as Kira will not go unpunished."

"You can't kill me," he laughed. "Kira can never die."

"Shut up," I hissed, swallowing the lump in my throat. _Just pull the trigger._ "You deserve what's coming to you. Confess with your mouth you filthy bastard." I shoved the gun right into his temple, so tempted to pull the trigger.

"I'm Kira…" he whispered. Then, a disturbing laughter echoed through the room as he let his crazy loose. "That's right. I am Kira. Your god. The one who has cleansed this world of all unrighteousness. You should be thanking me for all the justice I've brought to this rotten nation."

"Justice?!" My voice rose with anger. "You think killing people is justice? How twisted can you be? You know, I thought you were attractive. I thought you were intelligent. But this is just wrong and insane."

"Fine then!" he growled, glaring up at me. "Kill me! If you hate me so much then put a bullet right through my brain! Then you'll know how it feels."

I almost did. For a second, my finger twitched against the trigger.

But I didn't. Because I didn't need to. "No…" My voice cracked, and I couldn't take it any longer. Tossing the gun aside, I lowered to my knees beside him. "All the killing needs to stop, right here and right now. Death will not be my curse."

Light, assuming he'd won, went for the gun across from me. Standing up and pointing it at me, he smirked. "In the end, justice always wins. You never had a-"

In the middle of his sentence, Light jolted the same time a electric sound echoed through the air. Shaking violently, the brunet dropped the gun and fell to the floor. Behind him from where he stood, Beyond held out a tazer. "Hey, these things come in handy!" He beamed, dropped the weapon and hurrying over to consume me in a hug. "You okay?"

Pulling away, I smiled and let out a shaky breath. "Yeah, I'm fine." Plucking the barely-visible bug that I'd attached to my shirt before I walked in, I held it up to face me. "Get all that, L?"

Beyond looked at the twitching Light and sighed with relief. "It's finally over."

"Yeah," I agreed. "Finally."

* * *

 **Le Epilogue**

I stirred awake to the sound of a box being tore open. From the aisle seat on the plane, I turned to see L stuffing his hand into a box of Hello Pandas, unashamed. "Why are you still up?" I asked, yawning.

"You know I can't sleep on planes." He consumed two pandas at once.

"L you can't sleep in general."

"Ah, you know me too well." Reaching into the box, he pulled out another panda and held it out to me. "Care to try one?"

"No, I'm-" I paused, studying the small treat. "Oh alright, just one."

Well, we ended up opening two more boxes. There goes my breakfast.

"So," L began, licking his fingers as we finished off the last box, "what are Akari's plans? Surely she has something in mind."

I almost forgot that we were free to do whatever we wanted. The Kira case was over. After I got Light's confession recorded, it was only a matter of time before he was sent to the world's most elite, high-security prison where he would live out the rest of his days. Best part: Misa was cleared and was able to visit him whenever she wanted, allowing me not to have to worry about a vengeful Shinigami.

"I think she's planning on finishing college, like me, but she'll be staying on campus like we had been doing. Once that's taken care of, I'm pretty sure she's setting off to become a traveling private detective like you. With Beyond by her side of course."

Akari and I are best friends, and forever will be, so we've promised to keep in touch all the time. Besides, since she's dating my brother, I'll kinda have to see her every Christmas.

"Ah yes," L replied, resting his hands on his bent knees. "What will Beyond be doing? I doubt Akari will let him on his bum all day doing nothing."

I laughed, rolling my eyes. "Yeah, well, not counting his shady underground dealings, which I think are about shipping jam illegally across the ocean, he's gonna get a part-time job at the NPA. Probably as a janitor."

L's amused eyes found mine and, even though there were many other people on board the plane to England, mostly sleeping, it felt like we were the only two people around.

L's voice brought me out of my trance as I had been studying him. "Are you content with your plans for the future?"

I hummed in thought. "Finishing college, traveling with the world's greatest detective as his assistant, and helping him and his mentor solve crime cases. Yeah, I think I'll be happy enough."

As I leaned against his shoulder, I smiled at the thought of a bright future together. A future where all this Kira crap is behind us. "Yuki… do you think that, in the future, you would be considerably happy being more than just my girlfriend?"

His meek and hopeful demeanor was enough to melt my heart. "In the future, L, but we met, what, almost a year ago? Anyway, I'd love to be something more one day. You know why?"

"Hmm, why?"

"Because I love you."

Without even looking at him, I knew he was smiling. Faint, hidden, but a smile nonetheless. "I have a deep affection and attraction toward you as well." He paused for a moment before tilting his head like a young pup. "You know, reading about romantic relationships between two individuals is far different than experiencing the same situation in real life."

I chuckled. "I'm sure it is. You don't exactly get butterflies in your stomach or a blush on your cheeks just reading a how-to guide on romance."

The detective hummed, biting his thumbnail. "Yes, it is indeed a new sensation. I believe it best that we should take it slow from now on. You wouldn't mind, would you?"

Even if I did mind, I couldn't say no to him. "Of course I don't," I smiled. "I don't mind waiting." As I snuggled against his shoulder, I suddenly felt a cold hand be placed on the top of my head. I looked up to see that L had rested his palm on my head, in an attempt to- what was he even trying to do? Stroke my hair? Pat my head? His hand just sat on my head motionlessly. "Uh, L?"

He blinked, but did not remove his hand. "Physical contact is a way to show affection to someone. Thus I am showing my affection for you."

I laughed. "Well you've already showed a good amount of physical contact when you kissed me… but this works, too." I soon returned to my spot against his shoulder.

I was about to fall asleep on him when I could feel him moving around. "For goodness sake, what is it now?" I huffed, moving to look at him.

"Did you remember to pack the cake?"

I stared. "Cake? On a plane?"

"Yes, the cooler was on the counter."

"I thought you told Watari to do it?"

"No I specifically told you."

"Nah, you told Watari."

"You."

"Watari."

"You."

"Okay so maybe you told me…"

"Then did you remember to pack the cake?"

"..."

"Yuki," he pouted. I had to grin as I got up and pulled out the small cooler from the top storage compartment.

"Chocolate or strawberry?" I asked.

He smiled with satisfaction. "Both."

I rolled my eyes and handed him the cooler and a plastic fork. "You're a dork, you know that?"

"But you adore me anyway."

"I do."

He sliced a piece of the strawberry cake and held it out for me. I took a bite and hummed with pleasure as it melted deliciously in my mouth. L twitched as I hummed, hunger filling his eyes. Leaning over the seat, I cupped his face and kissed him. The next one after that was filled with even more- what's the word?- _affection_.

Finally I had to pull away. "Alright L, we're on a freaking plane. I'm sure this can wait til later." To be honest, I wasn't sure how long my eyelids would remain open.

Pouting, L conceded, but smirked to himself as he whispered, "I suppose it will be much more _convenient_ when we have the room to ourselves. Just the two of us. Hmm, I'm sure we won't get much sleep at all."

I was blushing like mad as he pulled away, triumphant smirk still on his face, and continued to consume the delectable cake. _Well_ I laughed _this is definitely going to be an interesting adventure._

 **THE END**

* * *

 _*sniffles* Welp, that's it I guess. Exactly one year ago I posted this story, and look how far it's come! I'm honestly proud of this story, and I'm so so so thankful of all the people who have favorite, followed, and reviewed! Without you guys, this story wouldn't be as special as it is to me._

 _Sorry for any grammatical errors, I was in a rush to get this updated. Updated for the last time... *grabs tissues* No, I won't start crying... not yet..._

 _Seriously, thank you all for staying with me up to this point. You guys are great, really! So, I hope you all have a Merry Christmas (or whatever you choose celebrate) and a great 2017. *clink* Here's to new adventures, new hopes, and new dreams._

 **Here's to you guys:** 1ToasterKitty, Amai Hime 13, ArcticHuntress, AtemLover1, Autobot Skyflame, Autumnsky4142, BDM-girl, BloodWaltz, Cats are my World, Celaena007, Chickengirlallie, ClaritaNox, CrysisWar1234, Darkxander, DeceivingAura, , Discoral, EmeraldHeart1203, EvilRandomCrazyPerson, Fruityloops87, Fucia12, Honoko2000, -279, JKC1996, Kain Vixenheim, KatStorm, KayTheSimAddict, Kitty Lawliet Harkness, LiLy Resh, Lunacat247, Mary Phantom, MickeyLOLgirl, Midnightsalem, Miriel983, NerdFreakForever, Nizuna Fujieda, Plague Rat of the Asylum, Red Distress, Regia, RoselynFey, Sameen Hadiya, Shadow At Midnight, Shadow Night 0227, Shiranai Atsune, ShirazakiYami, SoullessSky, Suzu J-Yoi, TPWABW, Takara Rose Oizumi, Tears of Forgotten Shadows, ThatCrazyLion, TheGreenEyedShadow, TheWildstar, Tia1205, TotalSebbyFangirl, Underfallsfangirl, UtaTokyoGhoul, VongolaCielo27, acousticFeline, Bai2468, cccourtc, detailedmemories, fairytall, fingerscrossed, gaara king of the sand, god of all, greyskies19, iWritesinsnotfanfics133, jhbratva, kat-duchannes, khadz12345, lune-de-bleu, .5, marrok4shadowpaw, meow333333, mrjokey23, mushroomkitty2121, mychemicalyoutubers, pravinos, purpleshapeheart, reula, sallycoombs, shadosakushi, sunspeck, xForeverGamerx, and xSilentFoxx. Thank you all.


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